DR Congo Ebola Cases Pass 8,000 as EU and US Add Response Funding

Confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo have surpassed 8,000, according to government data released on Monday and reported by Reuters.

The country’s public health institute reported that 3,901 people had died in the outbreak. The figures were issued as international partners announced additional financial support and preparations continued for vaccine trials.

Funding announced for response

The European Union has announced a €7.5 million aid package for the Democratic Republic of Congo. The European Commission said the funding would support the response to the Ebola crisis while strengthening preparedness, response and health surveillance capacity over the long term.

The EU also announced a wider €710 million pledge intended to support displaced people across Africa and provide relief during global crises.

The United States separately announced an additional $267 million to support efforts against the ongoing epidemic.

Vaccine options remain under development

The epidemic has been linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola and has been described as the largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak in the history of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

There were no approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo species, according to the source material. The World Health Organization said trials for three potential vaccines against the strain should begin by October or November.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has also launched a test vaccination programme using vaccines developed for a different strain of the virus. The programme was backed by the WHO and Doctors Without Borders and is intended to assess whether those vaccines could be effective against the current outbreak.

The effectiveness of the vaccines used in the test programme has not yet been established, and the source material did not confirm that trials of the three potential Bundibugyo vaccines had begun.