Did US aid cuts worsen Ebola outbreak in Central Africa?
Key takeaways
- DRC and Uganda are fighting to contain a dramatic Ebola outbreak, which went unnoticed for a long time.
- The latest outbreak is, however, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, which is named after a region in Uganda where it was first reported in 2007.
- The current outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Ugandais the third and already deadliest Bundibugyo-related epidemic so far.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
DRC and Uganda are fighting to contain a dramatic Ebola outbreak, which went unnoticed for a long time. Are US aid cuts to blame for the delayed crisis response?
https://p.dw.com/p/5E3wb The latest Ebola outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which no strain-specific vaccine is available Image: Moses Sawasawa/AP Photo/picture alliance Advertisement Since the turn of the millennium, there has been a new Ebola outbreak almost every year. The current epidemic, however, is different.
Most Ebola outbreaks, including a devastating epidemic several years ago that caused at least 11,000 deaths in West Africa between 2014 and 2016, can be traced back to the Zaire strain, for which a vaccine has now been developed.