June 4, 2019
Press Release
WASHINGTON
– Today, Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Africa, introduced the “Ebola Eradication Act of 2019”,
which would authorize the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) to assist with Ebola eradication efforts in the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
"More than 1,200 people have died from Ebola in northeastern Congo since August of last year. The rising numbers of new Ebola cases demand our attention and action to ensure we do not face another epidemic. This outbreak is at risk of becoming a pandemic if it is not brought under control. Despite the use of preventive tools and new therapeutics, the number of cases continue to rise. This legislation makes it clear to USAID that they can legally move forward with assistance to combat the Ebola outbreak appropriately.
The latest Ebola outbreak has ravaged the northeastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo and there is now risk of Ebola spreading across the border into neighboring countries. To further examine this issue, Rep. Bass and the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa is hosting a hearing to examine the scope of the Ebola outbreak and what can be done to combat it on Tuesday, June 4th at 2:00 pm ET. You can watch it here.
