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The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has surpassed 5,500 cases and killed more than 2,600 people, with a fatality rate nearing 48%. Pope Leo has urged the international community to act, as health officials warn the outbreak is 'spiraling out of control'.
The WHO announced that the Democratic Republic of Congo will receive 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine from global reserves to combat its largest Ebola outbreak, which has killed nearly 2,500 people. The doses include 20,000 for trials against the Bundibugyo strain, with the rest for frontline workers. The UN and partners are scaling up response efforts amid continued transmission.
The Trump administration has disbursed $600 million to Gavi, the global vaccine alliance, but cut the World Health Organization from that funding stream. The move marks another escalation in tensions between the U.S. and WHO, as health experts warn of weakened global health responses.
The US travel ban on people from the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan over Ebola has been condemned by African officials and health experts. Africa CDC says such restrictions are not a solution and could increase public health risks. Critics argue the ban exposes global health inequities, especially as no vaccine or treatment exists for the Bundibugyo strain.
A rare, untreatable Ebola outbreak in Central Africa has exposed a critical gap in U.S. involvement after massive cuts to global health aid. American funding to affected nations has plummeted, labs closed, and expert teams disbanded. Critics say the U.S. is deliberately failing to contain the crisis.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that cuts in global health aid, especially from major donors like the U.S., are undermining epidemic response systems and raising the risk of Ebola, hantavirus, and cholera outbreaks. The organization calls for sustained international funding to protect global health security.
Experts warn the world is becoming less resilient to infectious disease outbreaks, citing climate crises, conflict, and geopolitical fragmentation. The GPMB report highlights that pandemic risk now far exceeds investment in preparedness.
The WHO has confirmed 10 global hantavirus cases, adjusting the count down from 11 after one individual tested negative. All crew of the MV Hondius remain asymptomatic, but officials warn of possible further cases due to the long incubation period.
