Gates Foundation commits $15 million in emergency funding to support Ebola response in Congo and Uganda
$15 million emergency fund to Africa CDC and WHO to bolster Bundibugyo Ebola response
SEATTLE: The Gates Foundation is committing an initial $15 million in emergency funding to support the response for Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak affecting communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda through trusted institutions already working on the ground.
The funding is designed to place the majority of resources as close to affected countries and communities as possible:
$5 million to Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) for regional coordination, rapid deployment, and cross-border surveillance;
$5 million to World Health Organisation Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) for frontline operational support to countries; and
$5 million to WHO Headquarters to support rapid procurement, diagnostics, and surge logistics for critical response commodities.
The foundation also supports collaboration between Africa CDC and WHO AFRO through the Joint Emergency Action Plan (JEAP), a framework designed to strengthen coordination and provide governments with more unified emergency support during health crises.
Partnership
This outbreak underscores the importance of leveraging that partnership so countries receive coordinated and timely support rather than fragmented parallel responses.
The foundation continues to support the development of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics, including through our funding to CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
However, because there are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics for Bundibugyo Ebola, the immediate priority is rapid detection, strong public health measures, protection of frontline workers, and coordinated action to stop transmission as quickly as possible.
