U.S. Coordinates Ebola Response in Central Africa

The Department of State and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are coordinating a response to an Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan, working alongside the governments of those nations.

Protecting Americans remains the State Department's top priority. The department and CDC jointly published guidance enabling U.S. citizens in affected areas to voluntarily request assistance leaving the region. Citizens departing the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, or Uganda will remain subject to U.S. and foreign health and travel screening measures. The State Department maintains an Ebola information page with updates and encourages Americans in the region to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program for location-specific alerts.

## Financial Commitment and Infrastructure

The State Department has announced more than $162 million in foreign assistance to combat the outbreak. The department established six dedicated Ebola response clinics and supports dozens of health clinics that screen suspected cases and transport confirmed patients. Beyond direct health spending, the State Department allocated $350 million through the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to the three affected countries as part of a larger $1.8 billion commitment announced on May 14.

## Response Activities on the Ground

The International Organization for Migration, funded by the U.S., operates health screening and surveillance at entry and control points in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Uganda.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the U.S.-funded organization FHI 360 has conducted community outreach on Ebola prevention through partnerships with local leaders, religious figures, and youth groups. The effort includes radio broadcasts in French and Swahili designed to counter misinformation about the outbreak and build confidence in treatment centers.

FHI 360 also strengthened laboratory testing capacity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by training staff, transporting samples for analysis, and expanding testing operations across five additional health zones. Decentralizing laboratory work will accelerate testing timelines.

State Department-funded partners established five transit centers and one treatment unit for suspected and confirmed Ebola cases, while continuing support for 43 health clinics focused on case screening and patient transport.

The UN World Food Program, supported by U.S. funding and other donors, provides food assistance to suspected cases, confirmed cases, and health care workers in Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The program expanded food assistance to Beni Territory in North Kivu and Bukavu in South Kivu Province beginning May 31.