An Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has worsened, with the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring it a public health emergency of international concern. The rare Bundibugyo virus has spread rapidly, with 51 confirmed cases and 139 suspected deaths in Congo's northern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, and two cases in Uganda.
Healthcare workers are underprotected and undertrained, with residents in affected areas struggling to find masks and disinfectants. The WHO has said a vaccine to address the Bundibugyo virus will not be available for at least six to nine months.
The outbreak has highlighted the effects of the Trump administration's deep cuts in foreign aid, with the U.S. pledging to contribute $23 million. Anxiety grows in affected areas, where suspected Ebola patients share wards with others injured or ill, and healthcare facilities are overwhelmed.
A U.S. national who tested positive in Congo is in isolation in Germany, and an American doctor who was treating Ebola patients in Uganda is being transported to the Czech Republic for treatment.
