BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / EuroWire / – The European Union announced €16.5 million in additional support to help contain the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The package adds money, testing tools and logistical backing for response teams. The European Commission said the measure follows field visits by crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib. She met responders in DRC and health partners in Ethiopia.
The new support includes €6.5 million for the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative. It also includes €5 million for WHO to strengthen disease surveillance and improve access to supplies. The funds cover personal protective equipment and other medical items. A further €5 million will provide testing equipment, including rapid diagnostic devices and laboratory kits. The Commission said the package remains subject to approval by the budgetary authority.
The announcement comes as health authorities track the Bundibugyo virus strain across DRC and Uganda. WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on May 17. The agency cited cross border spread, population movement, insecurity and limited medical tools for this strain. There is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease.
Support targets testing and surveillance
The EU said the Africa CDC component will strengthen genomic surveillance and outbreak detection. The support covers equipment and systems that help laboratories identify pathogens faster. Africa CDC has worked with governments and health teams on regional disease monitoring. The EU said the testing equipment will support diagnosis near affected areas, where fast confirmation can shape isolation, tracing and care.
The package follows earlier EU humanitarian backing for emergency work in affected areas and preparedness in nearby countries. EU humanitarian flights with UNICEF have carried almost 100 tonnes of supplies to eastern DRC. The deliveries included medicines, protective equipment, infection control materials and tents. The EU said five additional flights were being organized as part of its Humanitarian Air Bridge.
Outbreak remains centered in DRC and Uganda
Updated health data show the outbreak has grown since authorities confirmed it in May. U.S. health officials, citing ministry figures, listed 598 confirmed cases and 115 confirmed deaths in DRC as of June 8. Uganda had 19 confirmed cases and two confirmed deaths on the same date. WHO reported lower totals on June 6 because its count used an earlier reporting cutoff.
European health officials have assessed the infection risk for people living in the EU and European Economic Area as very low. They said the outbreak still requires monitoring because data from affected areas continue to develop. The response now centers on case detection, laboratory testing, contact tracing, protective equipment and support for frontline teams. The EU funding adds resources to those activities as DRC and Uganda continue containment work.