The World Health Organization and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention are partnering to launch a $518 million emergency response to the Ebola outbreak.Though the WHO had estimated that there were fewer cases than previously thought, the new joint plan acknowledges that efforts to stop the outbreak are accelerating, as the number of cases has continued to increase.The six-month plan follows a “One-Response” approach to the outbreak. This means all partner organizations will follow the same guidelines when managing the outbreak in matters of emergency coordination, research, and engagement. The emergency response will be in place until November and complements national emergency response plans launched by the Congo and Uganda.
Both countries are at the epicenter of the current outbreak, with 101 confirmed deaths in the Congo and two confirmed deaths in Uganda, according to a CDC update released June 8. More than 94% of recorded cases are centered within the Congolese province of Ituri, an area already struggling with poverty and political violence.
Map of current Ebola outbreak (Grace Hagerman/Washington Examiner)
The current Ebola outbreak stems from the virus’s Bundibugyo strain, and while vaccines are in development, there are no approved drugs yet targeting it. This strain has a fatality rate between 25-50%.
