The United States will provide nearly $38 million in additional funding to support efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, the U.S. State Department said on Friday.
The latest funding brings the State Department’s direct contribution to the Ebola response to more than $200 million. The funding is separate from $350 million allocated for Ebola response and broader humanitarian assistance in the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan as part of a wider U.S. humanitarian package announced in May.
The State Department said it was coordinating with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the governments of the DRC and Uganda, and international aid agencies to support surveillance, contact tracing, border screening, treatment and public awareness efforts.
“The Department’s highest priority remains protecting the health of the American people and preventing this Ebola outbreak from reaching our shores,” the department said in a statement.
U.S. officials have also issued guidance for American citizens who may have been exposed to Ebola or who seek assistance leaving the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan during the outbreak. The department urged U.S. citizens in the region to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program for updates on health and travel measures.
According to the State Department, U.S.-funded partners are supporting health screening at airports and border crossings, improving disease surveillance systems and assisting local authorities in tracking contacts of confirmed Ebola cases.
In Uganda, the International Organization for Migration has deployed more than 100 screeners and data clerks at 13 points of entry, while in the DRC aid agencies have supplied infection-control equipment, sanitation materials and diagnostic tools to health facilities and Ebola treatment centres.
The department said partner organisations were also supporting community awareness campaigns, training healthcare workers, conducting safe burials for Ebola victims and providing food assistance to patients, caregivers and frontline health workers.
The United States said it remains the largest financial contributor to the international Ebola response.
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