Further to my announcement in the House on 1 September, I wish to provide a more detailed written update on the Bundibugyo Virus Disease (BVD) Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and on UK action with partners to support the African-led response, protect the UK public and help contain the outbreak.

Since the Government’s previous Written Ministerial Statement on 21 May, the outbreak has grown significantly. It is now the fastest growing Ebola outbreak on record. Latest Democratic Republic of the Congo data, as of 1 September, reports 6,250 confirmed cases, and 2,744 confirmed deaths. The outbreak remains centred in Ituri, in the northeast of the country, but there is transmission in six neighbouring provinces. We congratulate Uganda, which, with the support of UK and other partners, has now been declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization, demonstrating the value of early action, strong surveillance and coordinated partner support. Wider regional readiness has improved but remains a challenge, particularly in countries with high cross-border movement and weaker health systems, including South Sudan, Burundi and the Central African Republic.

Recognising the developing needs of this outbreak, and the scale of the challenge, on 1 September I announced that the UK would provide an additional £51.8m in funding towards the response. This builds on the £26.9 million in UK bilateral support already announced, including £21 million for the response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, support to Uganda and up to £5 million for research and development into vaccines and therapeutics. The lesson from previous Ebola outbreaks is clear: delay costs lives and ultimately costs far more. It is safer, cheaper and more effective to stop a disease at source than to deal with its consequences after it spreads. That is exactly what this funding is designed to do - to accelerate the response now to contain transmission and reduce the risk of wider regional spread. It will help affected countries and partners strengthen surveillance and contact tracing, expand treatment and case-management capacity, improve infection prevention and control, support frontline health workers, and engage communities to stop transmission.

The UK’s objectives remain to support containment at source, back the African-led response, reduce humanitarian impacts and wider secondary health impacts, strengthen regional preparedness and protect the UK public. Humanitarian access remains a significant constraint. Conflict, insecurity and armed group activity continue to disrupt operations and put responders at risk, while border measures and administrative processes are affecting the movement of personnel, equipment and supplies. The UK is working through our diplomatic missions in Kinshasa and across the region to help health and humanitarian workers move safely and quickly, and is helping ensure resources are directed where they are most needed.

The UK is also concerned about wider humanitarian and secondary health impacts. Ebola cases and deaths in internally displaced person camps underline the heightened risks facing vulnerable communities, where overcrowding and poor water, sanitation and hygiene increase transmission risks. Essential services, including sexual and reproductive health services, are also being disrupted. The UK is working with partners to reduce these risks and impacts, support vulnerable communities and help ensure the response is safe, trusted and community-centred.

The UK is supporting regional preparedness and coordination. We have provided UK technical expertise (through the UK’s International Health Regulations Strengthening Project) alongside £1 million to Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to help coordinate essential equipment and medical supplies across the response. This complements national and regional plans by helping to identify priority needs and strengthen preparedness in at-risk countries and get critical supplies and expertise to where they are needed most. Support also includes direct technical assistance through UKHSA, including embedded UKHSA advisers in Africa CDC.

The UK Public Health Rapid Support Team has deployed ten experts to support preparedness, readiness and response across the region, including through WHO and UNICEF. They are contributing to preparedness in South Sudan with technical expertise and regional coordination.

The UK is supporting urgent research and development. Through UK support to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), working with national and regional authorities, WHO, and other partners, progress is underway on new vaccines, treatments and tests. Major milestones include recruitment of over 200 patients to the first treatment trial, supported by Oxford University’s Pandemic Science Institute, and the first two of four vaccine candidates supported by CEPI, including one developed by Oxford University, entering early clinical testing in humans, as well as social and behavioural science research and modelling to inform the response.

The UK has also worked with partners to strengthen international political coordination for the Ebola response. The UK co-chaired BVD International Partners Group brings together key donors, affected countries and African response leaders to support the Africa-led response and sustain political and financial support. The UK continues to engage closely with international and African partners on next steps to sustain coordination and support for the response.

The UK is clear that safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH) is a non-negotiable priority. We expect all UK-funded partners to meet the highest safeguarding standards, with robust systems to prevent, report and respond to incidents, and to ensure affected people are at the centre of the response, especially the most vulnerable ones including women and girls. Safeguarding against SEAH is embedded in HMG Ebola response strategy and delivery plan, including as a specific lesson learned from the 2018 outbreak.

The risk to the UK public remains low. UKHSA continues to monitor the situation, including international travel risks, and public health measures remain under review. It is very rare for Ebola cases to occur in returning travellers, but the NHS has robust procedures and specialist facilities in place to safely assess and manage any potential cases. UKHSA’s Returning Workers Scheme has been activated to support workers returning from affected areas and contingency planning is focusing on managing any imported case of Ebola and facilitating contact tracing. FCDO travel advice remains under review, and consular support is available where needed.

By acting now, alongside affected countries and international partners, we have the best chance of saving lives and limiting further spread across the region. The UK will continue to strongly support an effective health and humanitarian response.

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