Ebola Outbreak in Congo Tests Global Response After US Aid Cuts

Ebola is one of the deadliest diseases on Earth, with a fatality rate as high as 90%. It’s among a handful of illnesses so dangerous that governments consider them threats to national security. The Democratic Republic of Congo declared an outbreak on Sept. 4 after 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths were reported.

Health services in the country have been under strain this year as the US government’s decision to cut funding for international aid, and worsening conflict in the country’s east, complicate efforts to contain other diseases such as mpox, cholera and measles. Experts say these setbacks will make it harder to stop Ebola too.