The Gates Foundation has announced an initial $15 million emergency funding package to support efforts to contain the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak affecting communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
In a statement issued from Seattle, Washington, on May 24, the foundation expressed concern over the outbreak and extended condolences to families who have lost loved ones, while commending frontline health workers, laboratory teams, responders, and community volunteers working under difficult conditions to save lives.
The foundation stressed that no single country or institution can contain an outbreak alone, particularly given the risks of cross-border transmission. It acknowledged the ongoing efforts being led by the governments of DRC and Uganda alongside the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and regional partners to strengthen containment, preparedness, and regional coordination.
According to the announcement, the emergency funding will be directed through institutions already operating on the ground, with the majority of resources intended to reach affected countries and communities directly.
The funding allocation includes:
- $5 million to Africa CDC for regional coordination, rapid deployment, and cross-border surveillance;
- $5 million to WHO AFRO for frontline operational support to affected countries; and
- $5 million to WHO Headquarters for rapid procurement, diagnostics, and surge logistics for critical response commodities.
The Gates Foundation also reaffirmed its support for collaboration between Africa CDC and WHO AFRO through the Joint Emergency Action Plan (JEAP), a framework aimed at improving coordination and delivering unified emergency support to governments during health crises.
The organization noted that the outbreak highlights the importance of coordinated responses rather than fragmented interventions, particularly during fast-moving public health emergencies.
While the foundation continues to invest in the development of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics through partners such as the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, it acknowledged that there are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics specifically for Bundibugyo Ebola.
As a result, the foundation emphasized that the immediate priorities remain rapid detection, strong public health measures, protection of frontline workers, and swift coordinated action to halt transmission.
“In an outbreak, every day matters,” the statement said. “Early coordination and rapid action are the difference between containment and wider regional spread.”
The Gates Foundation added that it will continue working closely with governments, Africa CDC, WHO, and other partners to monitor the evolving situation and determine where additional support may be required in the coming weeks.
