Ebola: Democratic Republic of Congo (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised Oct. 4, 2018 |
| Report Number |
IN10917 |
| Report Type |
Insight |
| Authors |
Tiaji Salaam-Blyther |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
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Summary:
On July 24, 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) had ended after having infected 54 people, 33 of whom died. The outbreak began on May 8, 2018, when
DRC health officials reported to WHO that two Ebola cases had been detected in the Equateur province, a rural area in
the northwestern portion of the country. The disease later spread to Mbandaka, a city that holds 1.2 million people and
serves as a regional trade hub. This was the ninth Ebola outbreak in DRC since the disease was discovered in 1976,
when an outbreak infected 318 people and killed 280 (Figure 1).
In contrast to the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, the WHO response was swift. On the same day that the
outbreak was reported, WHO released $2 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE), deployed a team
to the region, and activated an emergency incident management system. WHO also issued a $57 million appeal to
control the outbreak. The international community exceeded the request, having provided $63 million. The largest
contributions were provided by Germany (€5 million), United Kingdom (£5 million), and the United States ($5.3
million). Other types of support included in-kind contributions for medical evacuations and intercountry air transport
from Norway and the European Union, respectively; technical assistance from Germany, Guinea, the United Kingdom,
and the United States; and the provision of vaccines to protect over 3,300 people.
