Ebola Response Update - June 5, 2026

The United States is significantly bolstering its financial commitment to combat the ongoing Ebola outbreak, announcing an additional $38 million in funding. This brings the Department of State's direct contribution to the response efforts to over $200 million. This substantial investment is in addition to the $350 million allocated for humanitarian assistance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan, and Uganda, as part of a broader $1.8 billion pledge to the UN OCHA.

The U.S. government emphasizes that it remains the largest financial contributor to the Ebola response. A primary focus of the Department of State's efforts is safeguarding the health of American citizens and preventing the virus from reaching U.S. shores. To this end, in collaboration with the CDC and other U.S. agencies, guidance has been issued for a voluntary process to aid U.S. citizens who may have been exposed to Ebola or wish to leave the affected countries. These citizens will still be subject to health and travel screenings.

Through the direct funding, implementing partners are actively engaged in critical response activities. These include contact tracing, screening at borders and points of entry, supporting health clinics, and conducting community education to counter misinformation. Specific initiatives highlighted involve the procurement and delivery of essential supplies like thermo-scanners and hygiene kits to the DRC, and the distribution of WASH and infection prevention supplies to treatment centers and healthcare facilities. The U.S. is also supporting infrastructural improvements for disease surveillance at airports in the DRC and has deployed personnel to support health screening at 13 points-of-entry in Uganda. Efforts are also underway to enhance data quality procedures in the DRC to better understand the outbreak's scope.

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The Department's highest priority and focus remain protecting the health of the American people and preventing this Ebola outbreak from reaching our shores.