France Pledges Ebola Aid
French Foreign Minister Pledges Additional Ebola Support During DRC Outbreak Visit
Anonymous
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot visited Bunia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicenter of a severe Ebola outbreak, and said France would seek additional humanitarian funding in upcoming budget discussions. France provided €13.4 million for Ebola response efforts from January through July, and Barrot praised Congolese authorities, aid organizations and health workers for limiting the disease’s spread to major cities. Congolese health officials reported more than 4,000 deaths among over 8,300 cases, making the outbreak the country’s deadliest on record. Although confirmed cases have declined in some areas, insecurity and uneven progress mean the crisis remains serious; Barrot warned that Ebola could resurge if vigilance and prevention efforts weaken.
Key Points
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France’s Ebola response has included medical research and the PRISM programme, launched during President Emmanuel Macron’s 2023 visit; Ebola is also on the agenda for a national humanitarian conference in Paris on October 6.
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Although reported case numbers have fallen, Africa CDC cautioned that this may reflect insecurity and difficulties securing community cooperation in some hotspots; the disease has continued to accelerate in other areas.
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The Congolese health ministry reported 4,018 deaths among 8,300 infections across seven provinces, a 48.4% mortality rate; 2,162 patients had recovered.
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Bunia had also recorded a laboratory-confirmed mpox case in mid-September, adding to the region’s public-health concerns as Barrot made his visit.
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