Since Last Outbreak US Ebola Aid Plummeted 99%

Summary

Jeremy Konyndyk discusses the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, highlighting the undercount of cases and the challenges of containment. He criticizes the dismantling of USAID and the US withdrawal from the WHO, arguing these have severely weakened the global health response. The outbreak is the third largest on paper and likely much larger, with no vaccine for this strain.

• Ebola outbreak in DRC is already the third largest in history, with cases likely over a thousand.
• Official case numbers are an undercount due to limited contact tracing and case finding.
• The US has withdrawn from WHO and dismantled USAID, reducing global health capacity.
• CDC global capabilities have degraded, and coordination with affected governments is poor.
• This outbreak occurs in a conflict zone with displaced populations, complicating response.
• No countermeasures or vaccine exist for this Ebola strain, unlike previous outbreaks.
• A $13 million pledge for clinics is insufficient and was announced without local government buy-in.
• The response is slower and less effective, making containment harder and more expensive.