UK increases Ebola support to £78 million

The largest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is continuing to spread and is on course to become the deadliest and most extensive Ebola epidemic ever recorded. This spread is against a backdrop of conflict, displacement and severe humanitarian need.

FCDO Minister for Africa Kirsty McNeill announced more than £50 million to support efforts to contain the disease, taking the full UK contribution to £78 million. The new package will strengthen disease surveillance, support frontline health workers, expand access to treatment and support safe and dignified burials.

The announced package is £51m: £40m from humanitarian crisis and contingency funding and unallocated spend, and £11m in re‑allocation from existing FCDO allocations. British public health experts have been deployed across the region to support surveillance, infection prevention, community engagement and outbreak preparedness.

The UK is supporting the regional response through partnerships with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, the United Nations and humanitarian organisations. The effectiveness of the funding and measures is yet to be evaluated.