Britain has pledged just 5 per cent of the aid it spent tackling the last major Ebola outbreak on containment efforts for the current fast-growing crisis. The UK has committed £21 million to the outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, compared to £427 million in 2014-15 for the West Africa outbreak. This comes as the UK cuts aid spending from 0.5 per cent to 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income to fund increased defence spending.
The 2014-15 outbreak, the largest on record, involved more than 20,000 cases and 10,000 deaths. The current crisis has more than 1,000 confirmed cases and nearly 300 suspected deaths since the outbreak was confirmed almost two weeks ago. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed concerns about the disease outpacing response efforts. Health officials warn the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments, is spreading through a region destabilised by conflict, mass displacement and mistrust of aid workers.
Beccy Cooper, Labour MP and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health and Security, said lessons from the 2014-15 epidemic were being ignored. She said: 'Acting early boldly saves lives. Ebola does not respect borders. When the international response is underfunded, you lose the ability to trace contacts, treat the sick and protect frontline health workers.' The WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern last week. More than 1,200 suspected and confirmed cases and at least 255 suspected deaths have been reported across three provinces in eastern Congo, where fighting involving Rwanda-backed M23 rebels continues. Uganda, with seven confirmed cases, closed its border with DRC on Wednesday for at least four weeks.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for an immediate ceasefire, warning violence hampers containment. Aid groups say the response is constrained by funding pressures and wider cuts to aid spending on disease surveillance, following the UK decision and US aid cuts. Greg Ramm, Save the Children's country director in DRC, said the current response is shaped by what has been allocated rather than what is needed, contrasting with the 2014-15 surge. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said Britain had committed 'up to £21 million at this early stage of the response', with the number expected to rise as longer-term needs are assessed.
