US pumps $38m more as Ebola response hits $550m in DR Congo, Uganda

[Da Dona]

The United States has announced an additional $38 million (about Shs140 billion) in funding for Ebola response efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, pushing the total international response package to about $550 million.

The new funding, announced on June 5, 2026, by the US Department of State, brings Washington’s direct contribution to more than $200 million, making it one of the largest single donors to the response effort. The support comes as health authorities continue to battle the outbreak that has spread across parts of eastern DRC with heightened risk of cross-border transmission into Uganda.
According to the report, the funds are part of a broader coordinated effort involving the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), governments of Uganda and the DRC, and international humanitarian partners. The assistance is being channelled into strengthening surveillance systems, improving case detection, supporting treatment centres, and enhancing community awareness.

A significant share of the funding is being directed toward border and airport screening systems, aimed at preventing further spread of the virus across borders. Health agencies have deployed screening teams, including health workers and data clerks, at key entry points in Uganda and neighbouring countries to monitor travellers and detect possible infections early.

In Uganda, support from partners such as the International Organization for Migration has helped reinforce screening at multiple official points of entry. Similar interventions have been scaled up in eastern DRC, where infection prevention supplies, testing equipment, and treatment support are being provided to health facilities.

The Center for Disease Control has also warned that without strong intervention, the current outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola could grow to a scale comparable to or worse than the 2014 West Africa epidemic. This has prompted renewed urgency in funding and coordination efforts among international partners.

Health experts involved in the response say community engagement remains critical, as misinformation and delayed reporting have previously hampered Ebola containment efforts. Public health teams are also supporting safe burial practices, training frontline health workers, and conducting door-to-door awareness campaigns in high-risk areas.

Uganda, which continues to strengthen its preparedness measures due to cross-border movement with eastern DRC, remains on heightened alert, with surveillance systems and isolation facilities reinforced to quickly respond to any imported cases.

Officials say the combined funding and response efforts are aimed at stopping the outbreak at its source while protecting neighbouring countries from wider transmission- Monitor.ug.