Pandemic Fund Approves $220.6M Emergency Financing to Support Africa CDC–WHO Continental Ebola Response Plan

The World Bank–hosted Pandemic Fund Governing Board approved up to US$220.6 million in emergency financing on 5 June 2026 to support the Africa CDC–WHO Continental Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan for the 2026 Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak. Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya welcomed the announcement as a landmark demonstration of multilateral funding for an African-led outbreak response. The financing is structured in two components: (1) Up to US$175.7 million will be mobilized through the reprogramming of existing World Bank projects to support immediate response efforts in affected and high-risk countries — including the DRC, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, Kenya, and Ethiopia. (2) A further US$44.9 million will be made available through expedited financing processes to support preparedness and response efforts in Uganda, the Central African Republic, and the Republic of Congo. The financing is explicitly linked to the priority actions in the Africa CDC–WHO six-month (June–November 2026) Continental Response Plan, with support for: disease surveillance and laboratory strengthening; health workforce surge capacity; cross-border coordination in the DRC-Uganda-Rwanda-Burundi corridor; and community engagement programs. This Pandemic Fund package — combined with the US$518 million Africa CDC–WHO Continental Plan launch (June 5), the US >$200M commitment, and EU €15M — brings total formally committed multilateral Ebola response financing above US$950 million as of June 7. Africa CDC noted this was the fastest Pandemic Fund disbursement for an active outbreak since the Fund's establishment in 2022.