CDC Foundation Supports Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Take on Latest Ebola Outbreaks in Both Nations
Funding to bolster response; additional support needed to stem outbreaks and prepare for ongoing health threats to West Africa region and the globe
Guinea, where the 2014 Ebola outbreak began and ultimately claimed 11,000 lives, has recently confirmed its first new cases of Ebola since 2016. At the same time, another Ebola outbreak is continuing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The CDC Foundation is providing initial support of $500,000 to be used as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) coordinated response with local public health authorities to conduct contact tracing, active case finding and investigation of Ebola cases. This funding will also support essential transportation, facility improvements and communications to aid in the response. While this initial commitment provides a base of funding to bolster the response, the CDC Foundation is working to bring forward additional support from donors that can be used to meet immediate, on-the-ground needs to help end these outbreaks.
“Right now, it is critical to take steps to strengthen the responses in Guinea and DRC,” said Judy Monroe, MD, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. “From experience, we know how important it is to respond urgently to an outbreak—and we know the consequences when we do not. While this initial support will make an immediate difference, more support will be needed to aid Guinea and DRC and ensure the outbreaks do not spread to other nations in West Africa or other parts of the world.”
In Guinea, the CDC Foundation is assisting with an urgent and timely request to support Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire (ANSS) which is part of the Ministry of Health. ANSS will use CDC Foundation-provided funds to help support contact tracing and field investigation activities; assist with specimen transport; logistics, transportation and fuel costs; and communications costs related to phones and data.
In DRC, the North Kivu province in the eastern part of the country is experiencing a resurgence of Ebola—and is one of the provinces most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the current and planned projects in North Kivu to be supported by CDC Foundation and donors is to build capacity for preventing, detecting and responding to events of public health importance (including Ebola, COVID-19) and to ensure health authorities have the human resources, infrastructure, and materials needed to sustain these capacities going forward.
The CDC Foundation has the ability to ensure these surveillance and response activities are conducted in a timely and efficient manner, providing the opportunity to have an impact early on against the outbreak. Importantly, the CDC Foundation aided previous Ebola responses. During the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, which included Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the CDC Foundation supported the establishment of emergency operations centers in each nation; provided funding to hire in-country staff for the response; purchased computers equipped with software and printers for use in the field by in-country staff; purchased and deployed vehicles and motorcycles to ensure much needed transportation for response activities and more.
“The ability to rapidly mobilize critical resources for Guinea’s current response to Ebola is invaluable,” said Dr. Rebecca Martin, director of CDC’s Center for Global Health. “Together, our impact truly is greater.”
According to the CDC Foundation’s Monroe, “I have experienced firsthand the importance of supporting global health security in less wealthy countries. This Ebola outbreak in addition to the debilitating global COVID-19 pandemic are reminders we must work together throughout the world to take on infectious diseases that can quickly spread. We need additional support from donors and partners to our emergency response fund that can be used to complement and extend the initial funding the CDC Foundation is providing.”
Support for both nations will be used to meet a wide variety of critical on-the-ground needs as part of the response, such as public health activities like contact tracing and active case finding, equipment and supplies, local staffing, logistics and transportation, and more.
Contributions to the CDC Foundation’s Emergency Response Fund for these Ebola responses are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law and can be made on the CDC Foundation’s website (donate here) or by phone or mail. To discuss giving opportunities or an in-kind donation, contact Advancement at the CDC Foundation: by email at advancement@cdcfoundation.org or 404.653.0790, toll-free at 888-886-4CDC.