DRC Ebola Outbreak Now Third Deadliest Ever
Is the Ebola crisis in DRC a direct result of U.S. aid cuts or a consequence of decades of regional instability?
Above: Members of specialized response teams carry the body of a person who died from Ebola virus disease in Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo, on June 13. Image credit: Jospin Mwisha/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
The Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC is spiraling out of control, and gutted U.S. aid is a major reason why. USAID funding to Congo dropped from $545 million to $84 million, leaving treatment centers overwhelmed and contact tracing dangerously insufficient. Dismantling the very infrastructure built to stop outbreaks like this one has put thousands of lives at risk.
Right narrative
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's acting director has seen zero evidence that aid cuts hurt the Ebola response, and the Trump administration moved fast — restricting travel and pushing other nations to do the same. Blaming Washington for an outbreak rooted in decades of conflict, displacement and weak health infrastructure is a political move.
