Africa CDC chief urges African governments to fund their own Ebola response

Response financing

Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya is urging African governments to put more of their own money into the Ebola response and vaccine development as the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda intensifies.

Kaseya's argument is that the continent cannot keep leaning primarily on outside donors when an outbreak becomes a large regional emergency. He is pushing for a shift toward domestic financing that would help African health agencies respond faster and with less dependence on emergency appeals.

The appeal comes as health authorities are trying to keep treatment, contact tracing and community outreach moving in a fast-moving outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.

It also reflects a broader Africa CDC message about health sovereignty. In Kaseya's view, Africa needs steadier public investment in emergency readiness before crises deepen, rather than scrambling for donor support once transmission is already widespread.

Outbreak timeline

The outbreak was first confirmed on May 15, according to AP's reporting. Since then, officials have been tracing contacts and trying to contain transmission across affected areas in Congo and Uganda.

AP reported on June 19 that the outbreak had climbed to more than 894 confirmed cases and more than 200 deaths. More than 35,000 contacts were still being traced, underscoring the scale of the response.

Earlier reporting on June 17 described rare recoveries, including a 16-month-old boy and his mother, but the broader trend remained one of continued pressure on public health teams.

The outbreak has been especially hard to manage in eastern Congo, where insecurity, displacement and difficult access can complicate contact tracing and community outreach. Uganda remains part of the same regional response effort as health officials try to prevent further spread.

Health workers under strain

WHO reporting cited by other outlets said 75 health workers had been infected and 17 had died. That toll highlights how heavily the outbreak has affected the people working closest to patients and response operations.

In Ebola outbreaks, infections among health workers can slow surveillance, isolation and treatment efforts at the moment they are most needed. The losses also add pressure on governments to supply protective gear, staffing and funding quickly.

Funding gap

The latest reporting suggests the response still depends heavily on international help. AP said an African Epidemic Fund has secured $80 million from governments, and a donor conference raised $910 million.

That mix shows the funding gap Africa CDC is trying to close. The agency has argued that the continent still relies too much on foreign partners when emergencies hit, even though the response takes place in African countries and needs sustained local commitment.

AP also reported that Africa produces less than 1% of the world's vaccines and about 3% of its medicines. That structural dependence is part of the case Kaseya is making for more direct African investment in preparedness and response capacity.

The U.S. has also moved to help. The Guardian reported on June 18 that the U.S. CDC would tap $107 million in emergency funding for Ebola response efforts in Congo and Uganda.

Vaccine gap

The current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which does not yet have an approved vaccine or treatment. That makes the response more difficult than past Ebola outbreaks in which vaccine tools were available.

Without an approved vaccine, officials must rely even more on contact tracing, isolation, infection prevention and community engagement to slow transmission. That raises the stakes for every part of the public health response, from field teams to laboratory work.

It also explains why Kaseya is linking emergency funding to long-term vaccine investment. His message is not only about paying for the current outbreak, but about building the infrastructure to respond faster next time.

Regional stakes

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was expected to visit affected areas, according to AP's reporting. The planned visit suggests the outbreak is drawing wider regional attention beyond the immediate response zone.

The outbreak has become a test of whether African governments will treat Ebola response, vaccine development and preparedness as shared responsibilities rather than donor-funded exceptions. That issue is likely to remain central as the response continues.

The immediate risks are clear: delayed funding could slow outbreak control, extend transmission and keep health workers exposed. More domestic funding could help speed operations, but it would still need to be matched by strong coordination and logistics on the ground.

What comes next

Officials are watching for any new money pledged by African governments beyond the current fund totals. Another key question is whether updated case counts or death totals show the outbreak accelerating or stabilizing in the coming days.

Observers are also tracking whether vaccine development for the Bundibugyo strain moves closer to field or clinical testing. That would matter not just for this outbreak, but for the continent's broader Ebola preparedness.

For now, Kaseya's message is that Africa should finance more of its own response as the emergency unfolds, rather than relying mainly on outside donors once the crisis is already deepening.