Africa CDC chief urges continent to fund its own Ebola response

Africa CDC Chief Urges Continent to Self-Fund Ebola Response Instead of Relying on Foreign Aid

ABC News — HealthThe head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention called on African governments to invest their own funds in Ebola preparedness, vaccines, and emergency response capacity rather than depending on international donors whose commitments have proven unreliable. The remarks came as a fresh Ebola cluster in Central Africa strains the continent's health infrastructure and as cuts to US foreign-aid programs have reduced available emergency funding. The Africa CDC chief warned that reliance on external donors leaves the continent vulnerable whenever donor countries redirect budgets toward domestic priorities. He called for African nations to dedicate a consistent share of national health budgets to outbreak response, rather than passing emergency legislation only after a crisis erupts. The appeal was widely reported by AP, ABC News, and The Independent, signaling broad international interest in the continent's shift toward health sovereignty.