Japan pledges $3.5 million to help curb Ebola outbreak in DRC and Uganda

Japan announced an emergency grant of $3.5 million to support health‑care services, infection‑control measures, treatment programmes and water, sanitation and hygiene projects in response to the rapid spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the aid will be delivered through international organisations to strengthen local response capacity.

The World Health Organization warned that the outbreak continues to overwhelm its response capacity. WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported 1,094 confirmed Ebola cases and 277 deaths in the DRC, and 20 cases with two deaths in Uganda. The outbreak is driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which no approved vaccine exists. A French health worker returning from the DRC was confirmed as the first Ebola case in Europe, prompting France to launch a special monitoring system for aid personnel.

Both officials highlighted ongoing challenges in contact tracing, safe burial practices and the strain on health‑care infrastructure, especially in conflict‑affected and displaced‑population areas.