US is 'simply choosing not to stop' Ebola outbreak after massive public health cuts, experts say

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

US is ‘simply choosing not to stop’ Ebola outbreak after massive public health cuts, experts say

Hundreds of cases reported in the DRC after USAID has been dismantled and key scientific research canceled

Melody Schreiber
Thu 21 May 2026 11.00 BST
Last modified on Thu 21 May 2026 14.59 BST

A previously undetected outbreak of Ebola is coursing through parts of central Africa, and the US appears to be doing little to help stop it, after massive cuts to global and domestic public health efforts.

There is no cure and no vaccine for the rare Bundibugyo variant of Ebola, which has caused two outbreaks in recent decades. Health leaders and scientists are now racing to understand where the virus is spreading and attempting to stop it – but the US is notably absent in these efforts.

In the past year, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has been dismantled, thousands of staff at US health agencies were laid off, communications stalled and key scientific research canceled.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/21/ebola-outbreak-public-health