The Ebola Outbreak

Economist: Partly a consequence of US funding cuts

A case of Ebola was confirmed in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, on Tuesday evening, according to international media reports.

This is the first confirmed case in the country in twelve years. Yvonne Mhango, an economist for the region at Bloomberg, notes that this spread serves as a reminder that the epidemic that broke out in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has not yet been contained.

"This failure reflects the limited resources available to health authorities in the DRC—partly a result of US aid cuts in 2025," she says.

Nigeria confirms Ebola case – the same strain as in the DRC

Nigeria has recorded its first confirmed case of Ebola in twelve years. On Tuesday, authorities in the capital, Abuja, confirmed that a woman who had traveled to the country from Uganda tested positive for the virus.

According to the Africa CDC, the woman is infected with the Bundibugyo strain of the virus—the same variant that has been spreading in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo since mid-May. Since then, nearly 10,000 people in the DRC have contracted the disease, according to the latest figures from the CDC.