Washington, June 3 (IANS) The United States has expanded its response to the Ebola outbreak in Central and East Africa, announcing more than $162 million in assistance and a series of measures aimed at containing the disease while preventing its spread to the United States.

In an update issued on Wednesday, the US State Department said it was working closely with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as the governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, to mount what it described as a “rapid and comprehensive response” to the outbreak.

“The Department’s highest priority remains protecting the health of the American people and preventing this Ebola outbreak from reaching our shores,” the State Department said.

As part of that effort, the Department, in coordination with the CDC and other US agencies, has issued guidance outlining a voluntary process for assisting US citizens who may have been exposed to Ebola or who seek help departing the DRC, South Sudan or Uganda during the outbreak.

The Department said US citizens would continue to be subject to relevant health, travel and screening requirements imposed by US and foreign authorities. Americans in the region were also urged to enrol in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive location-specific updates.

Beyond measures aimed at protecting US citizens, Washington said it was significantly increasing support for affected countries.

According to the update, US foreign assistance commitments related to the Ebola response now exceed $162 million. The funding has helped establish six dedicated Ebola response facilities and supports dozens of health clinics involved in screening, transportation and treatment efforts.

The State Department said US-funded programmes were active across several fronts, including border screening, laboratory testing, community outreach and food assistance.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), supported by US funding, has established health screening and surveillance operations at border crossings and control points in Burundi, the DRC, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda.

In the DRC, US-funded partner FHI 360 has been working with local leaders, faith groups and youth organisations to strengthen public awareness about Ebola prevention. The programme includes outreach through community engagements and radio broadcasts in French and Swahili aimed at countering misinformation and encouraging trust in treatment centres and response teams.

The same organisation has also helped strengthen diagnostic capacity by training laboratory staff, transporting samples and expanding testing capabilities in five additional health zones. The State Department said decentralising laboratory operations would increase testing capacity and reduce the time between sample collection and analysis.

US-funded implementers have established six specialised facilities for isolating and treating suspected or confirmed Ebola cases, including five transit centres and one Ebola treatment unit. In addition, support continues for 43 health clinics involved in case detection and patient transport.

The update also highlighted food assistance efforts led by the UN World Food Programme (WFP). With support from the United States and other donors, the WFP is providing food assistance to suspected and confirmed Ebola patients as well as healthcare workers in Goma. The programme has recently expanded to Beni Territory and the city of Bukavu.

–IANS

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