Aid cuts slow Ebola response in central Africa, doctors say

Doctors working in the Democratic Republic of Congo say reduced foreign aid is making it harder to contain the latest Ebola outbreak. They say slower funding has limited testing, contact tracing, protective equipment, and basic supplies in areas already strained by conflict. The outbreak is being driven by a rare strain, Bundibugyo Ebola, which has fewer diagnostic tools and no vaccine for health workers in the region. Fighting involving armed groups has also disrupted surveillance and forced some staff to leave affected areas. Health officials say the number of suspected cases has recently fallen as more resources reached the eastern provinces, but experts warn that delayed response increases the risk that the virus spreads further within the D.R.C. and beyond.