BUNIA — France will escalate its support for efforts to eradicate Ebola in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced Saturday during a rare visit by a Western leader to the region.
Barrot warned that the virus could quickly resurge if vigilance diminished. Between January and July, France allocated €13.4 million, equivalent to $15.1 million, to combat Ebola. Barrot said he would propose additional humanitarian funding for Ebola during forthcoming French budget discussions.
"Ebola may seem far away to some people or political leaders, but it can return very quickly," Barrot told reporters in Bunia. "Our responsibility is to prevent those resurgences."
Barrot commended Congolese authorities, United Nations agencies, humanitarian organizations and medical workers for containing the epidemic. He said their efforts have prevented the disease from spreading to major urban centers within Congo and beyond its borders.
France's response has included humanitarian aid and medical research. The PRISM program, launched during President Emmanuel Macron's 2023 visit to Congo, forms part of this effort.
A laboratory-confirmed case of mpox was identified in Bunia in mid-September, adding to the region's public health challenges. A national humanitarian conference is scheduled for Oct. 6 in Paris, where Ebola will be discussed.
