U.S. Finalizes $80M Additional Ebola Response Assistance — Total Commitment Reaches ~$135M

The U.S. Department of State released an Ebola Response Update on May 28, 2026, confirming that plans had been finalized to allocate an additional $80 million in bilateral assistance to key response partners operating in DRC and Uganda. The new tranche — channeled through USAID, CDC, and partner NGOs — brings total U.S. government commitment to the 2026 BDBV outbreak to approximately $135 million. The funding is earmarked for: Ebola Treatment Unit expansion in Ituri Province ($28M); mobile BSL-3 laboratory support in Kinshasa and Bunia ($12M); ring vaccination campaign logistics and cold chain ($18M); community health worker training and community engagement ($11M); contact tracing digital tools and epidemiology surge ($7M); and Uganda response coordination and Kampala contact monitoring ($4M). The announcement marked the largest single U.S. financial commitment since the outbreak's PHEIC declaration on May 17. The additional funding came as case counts surged past 1,200 total suspected and confirmed cases, making this the most acute phase of the outbreak to date. The State Department statement emphasized the 'critical importance of maintaining response operations despite security challenges' and called on all parties to allow unimpeded humanitarian access in Ituri Province.