GENEVA — The Group of Seven industrialized nations and the European Union pledged additional financial support for the Democratic Republic of Congo's response to the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak on Friday, as international health officials warned that existing resources remain far short of what is needed to contain the epidemic.
The funding commitments came after the World Health Organization said it had received less than half of its $115 million emergency appeal for the outbreak, which has spread across eastern Congo and into neighboring Uganda. WHO officials have urged donors to intensify support, describing the response as being at a critical stage.
WHO said the outbreak has continued to expand despite intensive surveillance, contact tracing and treatment efforts. According to Congolese health authorities, more than 2,000 confirmed infections and over 750 related deaths had been reported by mid-July, although WHO has cautioned that the true number of infections could be substantially higher because of underreporting and challenges in reaching affected communities.
The G7 and the EU said their support would help strengthen disease surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, treatment capacity and cross-border coordination while accelerating work on vaccines and therapeutics for the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment. Their commitments build on earlier international assistance announced in recent weeks, including EU emergency funding and research financing for diagnostics and clinical studies.
The G7 had already called during its June summit for a coordinated international response, urging countries and partners beyond the group to dedicate resources to containing the outbreak and preventing wider regional spread. Leaders said they were working with affected governments and international organizations to strengthen coordination and reduce the risk of cross-border transmission.
The outbreak, centered in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, has been complicated by insecurity, population displacement and limited access to healthcare in some affected areas. Health authorities have also launched clinical research into experimental treatments, while researchers in Britain recently began the first human trial of a vaccine candidate targeting the Bundibugyo strain.
WHO officials said sustained international financing remains essential to maintain treatment centers, surveillance networks and community engagement, warning that the Democratic Republic of Congo cannot manage the crisis alone. The agency said it would continue working with national authorities, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and international partners as additional donor funding is mobilized.
