Africa's top public health body and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) health authorities are pressing international organizations to explain more than $700m in Ebola-response funding that has not been reported to the government.
Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Dr Jean Kaseya demanded financial disclosures from international organizations and NGOs supporting the Ebola response in the DRC, saying on October 18 that more than $700 million remains insufficiently reported to national authorities, according to ChimpReports.
Kaseya said donors had disbursed nearly $962 million directly to organizations implementing the response, but Congolese authorities had received financial information covering only approximately $220 million.
“These funds were not transferred to the DRC Government,” he said, clarifying that the accountability questions concerned funding channeled through international partners.
In addition, DRC Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said aid groups must provide details on funding sources, objectives and implementation levels before operating in the field.
The DRC outbreak, which began in May, has recorded 9,144 confirmed cases and 4,410 deaths, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, has been complicated by insecurity, population displacement and difficulties tracing contacts in eastern DRC.
Meanwhile, Kenya confirmed four additional Ebola cases on October 17, bringing its total to seven, including the first patient, who died. Three of the new patients were health workers who treated the initial case between October 3 and 4 October, and all four were already in quarantine.
Health authorities said they had traced 128 of 130 identified contacts and placed them under quarantine. The country has also received infection-prevention supplies worth about $468,000 from the United States, UNICEF and partner organizations as it prepares for a possible wider surge.
