By More than US$700 million allocated to the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains unaccounted for in financial reports, raising questions about transparency as the outbreak spreads across borders.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) says international donors disbursed about US$962 million to organisations implementing the response in eastern DRC. However, a financial verification exercise traced only a fraction of the funding through information provided by participating organisations.
Africa CDC Director-General Dr Jean Kaseya has called on aid organisations to provide clearer accounts of the money received and spent. He has cautioned, however, that the reporting gap does not in itself prove that funds were stolen.
The concerns come as Ebola cases reported in Kenya and Nigeria raise fresh questions about regional preparedness and the coordination of cross-border disease surveillance.
Possible link between Kenya and Nigeria
Health officials are investigating whether the first confirmed Ebola patients in Kenya and Nigeria were connected. Both travelled through Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport on 3 October.
Reuters reported on 26 October that genomic sequencing found the viruses in the two patients to be closely related. However, investigators have not established whether the patients met or had direct contact.
The Nigerian patient, a Ugandan-born woman living in Abuja, had no known visit to the DRC, prompting investigators to examine where she contracted the virus.
The Kenyan patient travelled from the DRC through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi, where he later died. Kenya has since reported additional cases.
Uganda’s location between the DRC and other regional destinations makes surveillance at its land borders and Entebbe International Airport particularly important. Authorities have stepped up screening as health officials work to limit further transmission.
Where is the money going?
The funding controversy raises questions about whether resources allocated to the Ebola response are being properly tracked and reaching frontline workers and affected communities.
According to figures presented by Africa CDC, participating organisations reported receiving US$228 million, spending US$127 million and retaining approximately US$100 million. Many implementing partners had yet to provide information during the verification exercise.
The figures do not establish what happened to the remaining funds. Authorities are seeking further financial records to clarify how the money was allocated and used.
Reports of unpaid salaries and bonuses, alongside concerns about working conditions for frontline health workers, have added to questions about the effectiveness of the response.
There is, however, no established evidence that the funding discrepancies caused the virus to spread across borders.
