NAIROBI
US health officials have warned that the Trump administration’s suspension of funding to the US Agency for International Development (USAID) could worsen the growing Ebola outbreak in Uganda, delaying essential aid and complicating the response.
Uganda’s eighth Ebola outbreak began when a nurse in Kampala contracted the Sudan virus and died eight days later. The outbreak now involves six confirmed and six suspected cases, with two showing no clear link to the virus. There is no FDA-approved treatment for the virus, which has had a fatality rate of at least 41% in previous outbreaks, according to the WHO.
The Trump administration’s freeze on foreign aid has disrupted global health efforts, leaving health nonprofits uncertain and facing unpaid bills, with many US-funded operations paused or reduced.
More than a dozen Americans in Uganda have been exposed to the Sudan virus, though none have shown symptoms, CBS News reported.
A US official stated that the aid pause has led to understaffing in Uganda’s contact tracing and traveler screening efforts, with many US-funded experts either laid off or unable to work.
President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the WHO also resulted in US staff severing ties with the organization, which plays a key role in managing Uganda’s Ebola response.
In response to the cuts, Uganda’s Health Ministry, supported by USAID, urged staff to “serve as volunteers in the spirit of patriotism,” CBS News reported.
Starting Friday at noon, USAID’s direct-hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally.
