Japan pledges US$3.5M emergency grant for Ebola containment in DRC, Uganda

UGANDA/DRC—The Government of Japan has announced an emergency grant of US$3.5 million to support efforts to contain the ongoing Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, as international partners intensify measures to curb its spread across the region.

The funding will provide critical humanitarian assistance in health, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and logistics services.

Japan will channel the support through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The latest contribution comes as health authorities and humanitarian organizations continue to battle a rapidly expanding outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a rare species for which no licensed vaccine or specific treatment currently exists.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners have been scaling up surveillance, contact tracing, clinical management, and community engagement efforts in both countries.

Funding allocation across affected countries

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the IFRC will receive US$1.5 million to strengthen health interventions, including community-based disease surveillance, risk communication, and support for affected populations.

The World Food Programme will receive US$1 million to enhance logistics operations, ensuring the timely delivery of medical supplies, protective equipment, and other essential materials to outbreak-affected areas.

Meanwhile, UNICEF will receive US$0.5 million to support water, sanitation and hygiene activities aimed at reducing transmission risks in vulnerable communities.

In Uganda, the IFRC will receive US$0.5 million to strengthen health response activities and community outreach programmes designed to identify cases early and prevent further infections.

According to Japan, the assistance is expected to help limit transmission within the affected countries while also strengthening preparedness in neighboring nations that remain at risk of cross-border spread.

Ebola cases continue to rise

As of June 19, the Democratic Republic of the Congo had recorded 956 confirmed Ebola cases, including 247 deaths and 92 recoveries.

In Uganda, health authorities had confirmed 20 cases by June 21, with two deaths and 14 patients discharged after treatment.

The outbreak has prompted a significant international response.

In recent days, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the activation of US$107 million in emergency funding to support domestic and international Ebola response efforts in the DRC and Uganda.

The agency warned that the outbreak could become one of the largest Ebola epidemics on record if transmission is not brought under control.

Humanitarian organizations have also expanded their operations on the ground.

The IFRC recently increased its regional Ebola response activities and delivered additional emergency supplies to eastern DRC, where community engagement, safe burials, and public awareness campaigns remain central to containment efforts.

The World Bank-supported Pandemic Fund has likewise approved up to US$220.6 million in grant financing to strengthen outbreak response, laboratory capacity, disease surveillance, and cross-border coordination across affected and at-risk countries