United States of America

US Adds $20M for Ebola Fight in East Africa

Is the U.S. leading the Ebola fight or did funding cuts allow the outbreak to spiral out of control?

5 days ago·Updated 4 days ago

US Adds $20M for Ebola Fight in East Africa

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Above: Red Cross volunteers at the Rwampara health centre in Ituri Province on June 8. Image credit: Jospin Mwisha/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

The U.S. is stepping up in the fight against Ebola, committing $20 million to preparedness efforts in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and South Sudan, pushing total State Department funding past $220 million. That money will support border screening, surveillance, emergency operations centers and critical supplies for frontline health workers, saving lives in the process.

U.S. Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance on X

Donald Trump on US State Department

Government-critical narrative

A last-minute $20 million announcement doesn't undo the damage this administration has already wrought. By gutting USAID, withdrawing from the WHO and slashing global health funding, Trump has allowed the Bundibugyo strain to circulate undetected for weeks before confirmation, enabling the virus to spiral out of control and costing hundreds of lives.

Jonathan Jackson on X Tim Kaine United States Senator from Virginia