Addis Ababa, June 25 (IANS) The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said on Thursday that the continental Ebola outbreak response and preparedness plan requires 1.4 billion US dollars, as the number of confirmed cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda climbed to 1,138, with 293 deaths.
“1.4 billion dollars is needed for the combined humanitarian and health aspects of the response,” Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya said during an online press briefing. “If we don’t have this, and if we don’t resolve the humanitarian issue, we will not stop this outbreak.”
Recalling a total of 910 million US dollars in Ebola-specific pledges announced by African states, key multilateral and bilateral partners during an African Union-led high-level meeting last week, Kaseya noted that only 13 per cent of the pledged amount has been released to affected countries and operational response partners so far.
He said that early financing represents the most cost-effective public health investment, calling for an immediate release of pledged funds before the outbreak escalates into a wider regional crisis, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Africa CDC, shortly after the outbreak was declared by the DRC on May 15, appealed for 319 million US dollars in financing to respond to the crisis.
As the outbreak expands, the Africa CDC and the World Health Organisation (WHO) increased the financing requirement to 518 million dollars to support African countries and operational partners to prepare for, rapidly detect, and respond to the virus.
The Africa CDC also urged sustained vigilance and solidarity following an imported Ebola case in France.
The imported case involves a health worker who had recently supported the ongoing Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from May 19 to June 19.
He left the DRC “in good health” and travelled to France before developing mild symptoms and seeking medical care. Laboratory testing confirmed infection with the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, the Africa CDC said in a press statement issued Wednesday.
–IANS
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