CDC Foundation Activates Emergency Response Fund to Support Ebola Response in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda

Flexible Funding Needed to Support the Global Response and Frontline Efforts 

ATLANTA, June 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Ebola outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) continues to expand in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and has spread to Uganda, the CDC Foundation is activating its Emergency Response Fund to help mobilize urgently needed resources to support global response efforts and protect global health security.

The outbreak is already the largest Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak recorded. CDC published articles in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) series on Friday, emphasizing the need for large-scale and sustained public health interventions similar to those deployed in the 2014 West Africa outbreak.

The CDC Foundation has a long history of mobilizing philanthropic and private-sector partnerships during public health emergencies, including the 2014 Ebola outbreak, to rapidly support the global response to meet on the-ground-needs including laboratory capacity, vehicles for transporting specimens, emergency operation centers and workforce.

Unlike previous Ebola outbreaks involving the Zaire Ebola strain, there is currently no licensed vaccine or approved treatment specifically for the BVD strain.

"This outbreak is a serious and rapidly evolving public health threat that demands urgent global action," said Judy Monroe, MD, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. "While governments across the globe are launching comprehensive response efforts, we know it will take all sectors and individuals coming together to address an Ebola outbreak of this size. The CDC Foundation is mobilizing support to help accelerate that work by providing flexible resources that can quickly address urgent operational needs on the ground."

The outbreak is occurring in regions facing significant humanitarian and logistical challenges, including insecurity, population movement and limited healthcare infrastructure. Rapid identification of cases, contact tracing, isolation and treatment of persons with BVD, community engagement, and use of safe and dignified burial for persons who die from BVD are necessary to control the outbreak.

Individual contributions to the CDC Foundation's Emergency Response Fund can be made at give.cdcfoundation.org/ebola. To discuss philanthropic partnerships, corporate engagement or in-kind donations, contact CDC Foundation Chief Advancement Officer Alison Thompson ([email protected]).

About the CDC Foundation
The CDC Foundation is an independent nonprofit authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners to support the public health system, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in preventing and responding to threats to health. In this role, we are focused on one priority: building catalytic, flexible and impactful partnerships—with corporations, organizations and individuals—to help improve the health and lives of people in all communities, everywhere. Visit www.cdcfoundation.org for more information.

SOURCE CDC Foundation