Published 7 hours ago • loading... • Updated 4 hours ago

Africa CDC chief says the continent needs to invest its own funds in Ebola response, vaccine

On Friday, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya urged African nations to increase funding for the Ebola response, citing the need for local vaccine production after an outbreak across Congo and Uganda killed more than 200 people.
Characterizing the current situation as the "worst ever at this stage," officials warned that delayed confirmation and the lack of an approved vaccine for the Bundibugyo virus have complicated containment efforts for 894 confirmed cases.
A newly established African Epidemic Fund secured about $80 million from African governments, while a broader donor conference generated pledges of about $910 million to support identification of more than 35,000 contacts.
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa is scheduled to visit Ituri Province in Congo and Uganda next week to bolster fund mobilization, as the continent manufactures less than 1% of its vaccine needs.
Kaseya expressed uncertainty about vaccine availability by year's end, emphasizing that the continent must reduce its reliance on foreign aid to protect a population projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050.

Insights by Ground AI

17 Articles

Africa CDC urges Congo, Uganda to fund Ebola fight and vaccine push

Africa CDC has urged governments to step up funding for the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda. The appeal underlines Africa's push to build its own vaccine and treatment capacity.

10 hours ago·India

Read Full Article