African Union secures US$910M pledge to fight Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak

BURUNDI — African leaders, health agencies, donors, and development partners have pledged US$910 million to strengthen the response to the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and in Uganda.

The commitment was announced during a High-Level Emergency Meeting convened by H.E. Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of Burundi and Chairperson of the African Union.

The meeting brought together African Heads of State and Government, the African Union Commission, the Africa CDC; the World Health Organization (WHO); regional economic communities; development partners; and donors to accelerate efforts to contain the outbreak and prevent further spread across the continent.

Of the total amount pledged, African Union Member States committed US$80 million, which the Africa CDC described as a strong demonstration of African solidarity and leadership in protecting the continent’s health security.

Leaders also endorsed urgent measures to mobilise and rapidly disburse the US$518 million required to fully fund the Joint Continental Preparedness and Response Plan within the next four weeks.

The plan supports surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory services, case management, infection prevention and control, community engagement, logistics, medical countermeasures, and cross-border coordination.

Leaders Call for Faster Action

Addressing the meeting, President Ndayishimiye stressed that success would be measured by the ability to stop transmission, protect health workers, rebuild public trust, and ensure quality care for affected communities.

African Union Commission Chairperson H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called for stronger regional coordination and enhanced preparedness to prevent further transmission.

He also commended frontline health workers, affected countries, and partners supporting the response.

Africa CDC Director-General Dr Jean Kaseya welcomed the financial commitments but emphasised that speed remains critical.

He urged governments and partners to convert pledges into immediate financing, supplies, personnel, and operational support for affected communities.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting both affected countries and the Africa CDC-led continental response.

He highlighted the importance of maintaining essential health services, including maternal care, malaria treatment, nutrition programmes, and measles control, while responding to the Ebola outbreak.

Funding Gaps and Operational Challenges

The meeting took place as health authorities continue to face significant challenges on the ground.

Response teams report shortages of contact-tracing capacity, medical supplies, treatment facilities, protective equipment, and safe burial services.

Insecurity and population movement in some affected areas have further complicated containment efforts.

Recent reports indicate that only a fraction of the pledged funding has been disbursed, increasing pressure on response operations.

The Africa CDC warned that if transmission is not brought under control quickly, response costs could rise from US$518 million on to as much as US$1.5 billion.

Vaccine Development Efforts Gain Momentum

The meeting also welcomed the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations’ (CEPI) commitment of more than US$60 million to accelerate the development of vaccine candidates against the Bundibugyo strain, for which no licensed vaccine is currently available.

Several candidates are being advanced by organisations including Moderna, the University of Oxford, and IAVI, with clinical trials expected to begin in the coming months.

 Additional international support has also been announced to strengthen research, manufacturing, and clinical development efforts.

Strengthening Continental Preparedness

Leaders called on neighbouring and at-risk countries to finalise preparedness plans, strengthen border surveillance, and improve real-time sharing of epidemiological data.

They also urged countries to avoid unnecessary travel and trade restrictions that are not supported by public health evidence.

To improve accountability, Africa CDC announced plans to establish a weekly commitment tracker to monitor pledges, disbursements, medical countermeasures, deployed personnel, delivered supplies, and remaining operational gaps.

The mechanism is expected to accelerate the implementation of the Joint Continental Preparedness and Response Plan as countries work to contain one of the largest Bundibugyo Ebola outbreaks on record.