By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved $13 million in emergency grant to strengthen efforts to contain the Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda and South Sudan.
The intervention reflects the growing need to treat infectious-disease outbreaks as regional threats, particularly when responders lack an approved vaccine or disease-specific treatment.
The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the DRC has increased to 2,473, including 999 deaths, government data showed on Wednesday.
The country’s public health institute said in its latest report that 50 new cases were detected on Monday in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu.
A small number of experimental vaccines and therapies are being assessed, and global health authorities are examining whether any existing Ebola treatments might offer protection — so far supported only by limited animal data.
Most experimental treatments have not yet been tested in humans and would require emergency or compassionate-use authorization before they are deployed in Congo.
Under the funding package, $10 million will be drawn from reallocated resources within the African Development Bank Group’s existing DRC portfolio and channelled through the World Health Organisation.
A further $3 million will come from the bank’s Multi-Country Emergency Assistance Project covering the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan, with implementation led by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
The DRC, which is at the centre of the outbreak, will receive $11 million, while Uganda and South Sudan will each receive $1 million.
The funds will be used in coordination with national health ministries to strengthen early diagnosis, epidemiological surveillance, community engagement, public awareness and regional coordination, according to a statement issued by the AfDB.
“This emergency support reflects the African Development Bank Group’s commitment to supporting the Democratic Republic of Congo and countries in the region in protecting human lives, strengthening the resilience of health systems and preventing the spread of the epidemic,” said Mohamed Cherif, Deputy Director General for Central Africa and DRC country manager at the African Development Bank Group.
“Through this support, the Bank Group reaffirms its commitment to standing by regional member countries in times of crisis,” he added.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. The strain is described as particularly virulent, and there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for it.