The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Saturday unveiled a six-month Ebola response plan for outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
With a 319 million U.S. dollars budget, the plan covers all 55 African Union member states.
The plan adopts a coordinated, country-driven approach, covering 11 response and preparedness pillars. It follows the principle of "one team, one plan, one budget, one monitoring and evaluation framework," and will be jointly led by WHO and Africa CDC.
Of the total budget, 265 million is allocated for outbreak response in the DRC and Uganda, while 54 million will go toward preparedness efforts in 10 high-risk African countries.
The plan also notes that the biggest shortcoming in the continent's preparedness for the current Ebola outbreak is the lack of licensed vaccines and drugs. As a result, prevention and control efforts will rely mainly on infection prevention and control measures, isolation of cases, contact tracing, and community engagement.
The DRC government reported 867 suspected Ebola cases and 204 suspected deaths as of Saturday. In Bunia, the capital of the hard-hit Ituri Province in the east, all passenger flights have been suspended at the airport.
On the same day, Uganda's Ministry of Health reported three new confirmed Ebola cases, all of which were the country's first locally transmitted infections. Previously, Uganda had recorded two imported confirmed cases, including one death.
On May 17, the WHO designated the ongoing Ebola outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. One day later, the Africa CDC declared it a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security.
WHO, Africa CDC announce 319 mln USD, 6-month Ebola response plan to tackle outbreaks
WHO, Africa CDC announce 319 mln USD, 6-month Ebola response plan to tackle outbreaks
