The United States has launched a $13 million emergency response and imposed new travel restrictions after confirmed Ebola cases emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, raising fears of another regional health crisis in East Africa.
In a statement published by the U.S. Department of State on Tuesday, Washington said it activated an interagency coordination system within 24 hours of learning about the confirmed cases, bringing together diplomatic, health, humanitarian, and security agencies to support containment efforts.
The U.S. said its embassies in the DRC, Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan have established monitoring teams to track developments and communicate with American citizens in the region.
The State Department added that daily leadership-level meetings are now being held to coordinate the response.
One of the strongest measures announced so far is a new Title 42 order issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on May 18.
