Infectious diseases

DRC Ebola Outbreak Now Third Deadliest Ever

Is the Ebola crisis in DRC a direct result of U.S. aid cuts or a consequence of decades of regional instability?

Published 18 hours ago

DRC Ebola Outbreak Now Third Deadliest Ever

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Above: Members of specialized response teams carry the body of a person who died from Ebola virus disease in Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo, on June 13. Image credit: Jospin Mwisha/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Left narrative

The Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC is spiraling out of control, and gutted U.S. aid is a major reason why. USAID funding to Congo dropped from $545 million to $84 million, leaving treatment centers overwhelmed and contact tracing dangerously insufficient. Dismantling the very infrastructure built to stop outbreaks like this one has put thousands of lives at risk.

Doctors Without Borders (Médecins sans frontières)The New York Times

Right narrative

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's acting director has seen zero evidence that aid cuts hurt the Ebola response, and the Trump administration moved fast — restricting travel and pushing other nations to do the same. Blaming Washington for an outbreak rooted in decades of conflict, displacement and weak health infrastructure is a political move.

The Hill