The World Health Organization and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention are seeking $518 million in response to the fast-moving Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, where cases and deaths continue to climb. The funding for WHO and Africa CDC’s Ebola response plan will cover the six-month response plans of affected and at-risk countries in Africa, as well as the organizations supporting the response. The goal is to stop the outbreak and ensure neighboring countries are able to detect and act swiftly in the event cases appear within their borders.

Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya said during the plan’s launch on Friday that the ongoing outbreak is the “most serious” out of all the three outbreaks caused by the rare Ebola species Bundibugyo, with 534 confirmed cases significantly surpassing the previous one in the DRC in 2012 by nearly 15-fold. It is also the most deadly of the three, with 93 confirmed deaths as of June 6.

The bulk of the funding, amounting to $240.3 million, will go to the DRC, where 34 health workers were among those who have fallen ill from Ebola — seven of whom have died.

Meanwhile, Uganda, which has reported two deaths from the outbreak, will get $24.7 million. A total of $79.1 million will go toward preparedness efforts in 11 countries around the DRC, and $173.6 million will go to organizations supporting the response.

The plan is co-led by WHO and Africa CDC, with support from different agencies. It covers a range of activities, including emergency coordination, surveillance, laboratory testing, risk communication, community engagement, and the continuity of essential health services.

Read the full article about WHO and Africa CDC’s Ebola response plan by Jenny Lei Ravelo at Devex.