The EU has announced new funding of €300,000 (Ugx 1.24 billion) to support the response to the mpox outbreak that has spread from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to 9 districts in Uganda, where now 25 districts are categorised as high risk.

The funding will support humanitarian partners who are already implementing epidemic preparedness programmes at points of entry, transit centres, and in the refugee settlements and their hosting districts. The aid will include coordination, surveillance and laboratories, case management, infection prevention and control, as well as risk communication and community engagement activities. 

This funding adds to the €32 million EU humanitarian aid allocated to Uganda this year.

In response to the mpox outbreak, the EU has already provided €1 million in humanitarian aid to DRC and €200,000 to support the Burundi Red Cross national society through the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) managed by the International Federation of the Red Cross/Crescent Societies (IFRC). Furthermore, in cooperation with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 2 epidemiologists have been deployed to the DRC.