President Trump cut money for fighting Ebola in Uganda on January 20, 2025. Elon Musk later claimed they fixed this funding mistake right away during a February cabinet meeting. Medical workers across Uganda disagree with his statement. They report seeing absolutely no evidence that any money came back after these cuts happened.
USAID handled most American foreign help before Trump closed it with an executive order. Edith works against Ebola but fears using her full name might cause problems. She asks why nobody informed her team about the restored funding. The current Ebola team has only eight members compared to nearly sixty people who worked during the previous outbreak when American dollars supported their efforts.
Ugandan officials carefully avoided straight answers about missing American support. Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng simply stated they collaborated to control the outbreak. When asked for details, government leaders either stayed quiet or refused comments. A healthcare professional who requested anonymity confirmed that funding never returned despite what Musk claimed.
The health worker explained their ministry wanted more people fighting Ebola but lacked the money to hire them. Uganda announced the new outbreak on January 30, just after Trump stopped foreign aid. Ten people have caught the virus already, with two deaths - a 32-year-old nurse and a 4-year-old boy. America previously gave over $22 million during the last Ebola crisis that ended in January 2023.
Georgetown University professor Lawrence Gostin believes Uganda can handle this outbreak based on past success. He recommends partnering with Africa CDC and WHO Africa for better results. Uganda moved fast despite money troubles, creating the first Sudan Ebola vaccine trial days after confirming cases. Researchers prepared everything within four days under strict safety rules.
Medical teams released eight recovered patients on February 18 after multiple negative tests. Officials monitor 58 people who contacted infected individuals. Previous Ebola outbreaks killed between 40% and 70% of patients. The latest outbreak before this infected 164 people with 77 deaths. Uganda must maintain its quick response without American help to avoid worse numbers.
USAID handled most American foreign help before Trump closed it with an executive order. Edith works against Ebola but fears using her full name might cause problems. She asks why nobody informed her team about the restored funding. The current Ebola team has only eight members compared to nearly sixty people who worked during the previous outbreak when American dollars supported their efforts.
Ugandan officials carefully avoided straight answers about missing American support. Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng simply stated they collaborated to control the outbreak. When asked for details, government leaders either stayed quiet or refused comments. A healthcare professional who requested anonymity confirmed that funding never returned despite what Musk claimed.
The health worker explained their ministry wanted more people fighting Ebola but lacked the money to hire them. Uganda announced the new outbreak on January 30, just after Trump stopped foreign aid. Ten people have caught the virus already, with two deaths - a 32-year-old nurse and a 4-year-old boy. America previously gave over $22 million during the last Ebola crisis that ended in January 2023.
Georgetown University professor Lawrence Gostin believes Uganda can handle this outbreak based on past success. He recommends partnering with Africa CDC and WHO Africa for better results. Uganda moved fast despite money troubles, creating the first Sudan Ebola vaccine trial days after confirming cases. Researchers prepared everything within four days under strict safety rules.
Medical teams released eight recovered patients on February 18 after multiple negative tests. Officials monitor 58 people who contacted infected individuals. Previous Ebola outbreaks killed between 40% and 70% of patients. The latest outbreak before this infected 164 people with 77 deaths. Uganda must maintain its quick response without American help to avoid worse numbers.
