France to step up Ebola funding in DRC amid resurgence fears

France plans to intensify its financial support for the fight against Ebola in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) amid concerns of a resurgence of the virus. Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced this during a visit to the epicenter of the outbreak, the city of Bunia, where a laboratory-confirmed case of mpox was reported in mid-September. Since January, France has contributed €13.4 million ($15.1 million) to the Ebola response efforts.

Barrot has pledged to request additional humanitarian funding for Ebola during upcoming French budget deliberations. The government's response has been multifaceted, encompassing humanitarian aid, medical research, and the PRISM programme initiated during President Emmanuel Macron’s 2023 visit to the DRC.

A national humanitarian conference will be convened in Paris on October 6 to deliberate on Ebola measures. Barrot emphasized that while Ebola might seem distant to some, it can rapidly re-emerge, underscoring the urgency of preventing such flare-ups. He commended the efforts of Congolese authorities, United Nations (UN) agencies, humanitarian organizations, and medical personnel for successfully containing the epidemic and averting its spread to major urban areas in the DRC.

When asked about the potential for the virus to resurface in France following a case being reported there, Barrot urged a proactive approach, stating that the focus should be on combating the epidemic at its source.