Nairobi — The United States has announced an additional $242 million to support immediate Ebola response, preparedness and humanitarian efforts in countries affected by or at risk from the outbreak in East and Central Africa.
The funding comes as health authorities across the region step up surveillance, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control measures following the outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease, a form of Ebola disease, in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
The US says it remains the largest financial contributor to the international Ebola response, with its support focused not only on containing active infections but also on strengthening health systems in countries such as Kenya that are at risk because of their proximity to affected areas and their role as regional transport hubs.
The latest funding will support emergency response operations, disease surveillance, medical supplies, laboratory capacity, infection prevention and control, risk communication and other preparedness measures.
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According to the US government, its assistance to date has enabled 8.6 million health screenings across affected and at-risk countries and reached more than one million people with Ebola risk-communication messages.
The US has also supported more than 180 health facilities in Ebola-affected areas and directly operated 12 specialised facilities in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the isolation and treatment of Ebola patients.
Nearly 300 metric tonnes of critical supplies have been procured and distributed under the response, including personal protective equipment and commodities required for water, sanitation, hygiene and infection prevention and control.
The assistance has also helped strengthen diagnostic capacity at 11 operational laboratories across the region.
Kenya has emerged as a key part of the regional preparedness strategy because of its extensive air and road links with Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and other countries in the region.
The country has strengthened screening at points of entry, surveillance and laboratory preparedness while identifying isolation and treatment facilities capable of handling suspected cases.
The government has designated specialised Ebola isolation and treatment facilities at Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya National Police Hospital and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, while additional response sites have been identified in high-risk border counties.
The United States has also been supporting Kenya's broader emergency preparedness infrastructure. Through the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the partnership has helped establish 25 county Public Health Emergency Operations Centres, strengthening the country's ability to detect, coordinate and respond to disease outbreaks. The centres have already been used to respond to more than 100 public-health events, including malaria, dengue and rabies.
The current Ebola response has given those systems an additional test as Kenya seeks to ensure that suspected cases can be detected, isolated and investigated before transmission occurs.
The US has separately been involved in plans for a temporary Ebola quarantine facility at a Kenyan military installation in Laikipia County, intended primarily for Americans exposed to Ebola while working in the region.
The proposed facility, reported to have a capacity of about 50 beds, became the subject of legal challenges and public protests, with opponents questioning the arrangements under which Kenya would host potentially exposed American citizens. A Kenyan court temporarily halted the plans, while the government was ordered to provide further details about the proposed facility.
The controversy has nevertheless highlighted the wider importance of Kenya's preparedness as the region confronts recurring outbreaks of highly infectious diseases.
In June, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said construction-related activities at the Laikipia site had been halted following a court order. Reuters reported that the facility was intended to support the isolation of Americans potentially exposed to Ebola in the region.
The current outbreak is particularly significant because it involves the Bundibugyo virus, one of the viruses that causes Ebola disease. Unlike the Zaire strain, for which an approved vaccine exists, there is currently no approved vaccine specifically for Bundibugyo virus. Treatment relies largely on intensive supportive care, making early detection, isolation and infection prevention critical.
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The outbreak began in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo and subsequently spread to Uganda. The US CDC says its response has included disease surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory sample collection and sequencing, infection prevention and control, border health measures, and risk communication.
For Kenya, the emphasis is therefore on preventing importation while ensuring that any suspected case can be quickly identified and safely managed.
The US says the new $242 million commitment will help maintain that regional response while strengthening health systems so that countries can detect and contain outbreaks before they cross borders.
The latest intervention also reflects the broader lesson from previous Ebola outbreaks: containing the disease at its source and ensuring neighbouring countries have functioning surveillance, laboratories, trained health workers and adequate protective equipment are central to preventing a local outbreak from becoming a regional crisis.
