US pledges $267 million more to fight Ebola in Central Africa

The United States has pledged an additional $267 million to support efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, as health authorities continue working to bring the deadly disease under control.

Senior officials from the US State Department announced the funding on Wednesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. They expressed hope that other countries would also commit new resources towards a $2 billion funding target to tackle the outbreak, which is concentrated mainly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The outbreak was first detected in May and has become the second-deadliest Ebola outbreak on record, surpassed only by the epidemic that struck West Africa between 2014 and 2016.

The latest pledge brings the Trump administration’s total commitment to the response to $886 million. This includes $107 million provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, in addition to funding from the State Department.

One US official said the assistance would help affected countries contain the outbreak at its source. The support is expected to cover the construction of treatment facilities, the provision of diagnostic tools and the supply of medical countermeasures for frontline health workers.

Source: Reuters