World Bank Unveils USD93M to Bolster Africa’s Ebola Response
Of the total, $80 million will support critical public health measures in affected areas of Congo, including disease surveillance, laboratory services, patient treatment, infection prevention and control, and community outreach.
“Health emergencies don’t wait and neither did we,” said Albert Zeufack, the World Bank’s division director for Congo.
Congo has recorded 9,066 confirmed Ebola cases, including 4,381 deaths, since the outbreak was declared in May, according to the latest figures released by the Health Ministry.
The outbreak has spread across seven provinces: Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Bas-Uele, Tshopo and South-Ubangi.
Part of the funding will also help maintain maternal and child healthcare services in Ituri, the outbreak’s epicenter, to prevent disruptions from exposing women and newborns to greater health risks.
The support will further aim to safeguard livelihoods in affected communities and allow children to continue attending school safely, the statement said.
Beyond Congo, the World Bank will provide an additional $13 million to reinforce emergency preparedness, outbreak response and resilience in 11 countries across the region through its Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience program.
In May, following the declaration of Ebola outbreaks in Congo and Uganda, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) identified 10 African countries at high risk of the disease spreading: South Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia, the Central African Republic, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Angola, the Republic of the Congo and Burundi.
Uganda has since been declared Ebola-free. However, Kenya reported its first imported Ebola case from Congo last week, highlighting the continuing risk of the disease spreading: South Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia, the Central African Republic, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Angola, the Republic of the Congo and Burundi.
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