U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the World Health Organization (WHO) was “a little late” in identifying a deadly Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. Speaking to reporters, Rubio said the response lead is “obviously” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the WHO, and he criticized WHO’s timing. Multiple outlets report Rubio also links his remarks to broader U.S. actions toward the WHO, noting President Donald Trump moved to withdraw from the organization after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The U.S. State Department says it will provide initial funding of about $13 million to support the opening of up to around 50 Ebola treatment centres in the DRC or Uganda, according to reports. Rubio adds that access is difficult because the outbreaks are in rural, hard-to-reach areas in a war-torn country.
The WHO responds to the criticism. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the organization does not replace countries’ work and instead supports national authorities that detect outbreaks. WHO also expresses concern about the outbreak’s “scale and speed,” as reported by outlets covering the agency’s statement.
