The Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Dr Jean Kaseya, has warned that Africa will struggle to bring the ongoing Ebola outbreak under control unless an additional $1.4 billion is mobilised to strengthen the continent’s response.
Speaking at the African Union Extraordinary Health Summit at the Alisa Hotel in Accra, Dr Kaseya said the outbreak continues to pose a serious public health threat, with community transmission remaining alarmingly high.
“This summit is very serious because we are here to discuss health security. If we don’t control this outbreak, everything we are doing today won’t make sense,” he said.
According to Dr Kaseya, more than 60 percent of Ebola-related deaths are occurring within communities, while health authorities have been unable to account for the whereabouts of nearly 30 percent of confirmed cases, making efforts to contain the disease even more challenging.
He disclosed that the estimated funding required to respond effectively to the outbreak has risen sharply from an initial $518 million to $1.4 billion.
“If we don’t raise this money, the outbreak won’t stop,” he warned.
Despite the funding gap, Dr Kaseya commended African countries for demonstrating strong political commitment to the response. He revealed that although member states had initially set a fundraising target of $100 million, they have already mobilised approximately $110 million.
The Africa CDC Director-General also welcomed Ghana’s intention to make a financial contribution during the summit, describing the planned pledge as an important step towards strengthening the continent’s collective response to the Ebola outbreak.
The African Union Extraordinary Health Summit has brought together leaders, health experts and development partners to coordinate efforts aimed at improving Africa’s preparedness and response to public health emergencies, including the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
