Norway gives 50 million kroner to WHO as Ebola outbreak raises pandemic fears

Norway has contributed 50 million kroner to the World Health Organization’s health crisis fund following a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, a move that comes as a former head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns the outbreak could escalate into a major pandemic.

The Norwegian government confirmed the contribution on Friday, saying the funds would support containment efforts. Dagbladet reports that the outbreak, first confirmed on 15 May in Ituri province in northeastern DR Congo, involves a rare variant of the Ebola virus for which no approved vaccine or specific treatment exists.

Former CDC director Robert Redfield told Newsnation that he suspects the outbreak will become “a very significant pandemic” and that it will likely spread to Tanzania, South Sudan, and possibly Rwanda.

According to the World Health Organization, the virus has a fatality rate of about 40 percent. WHO has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Over 130 people have already died, the source states.

Efforts to contain the virus are complicated by conflict, large population movements, and weak government control in the region, Norwegian authorities said. On Thursday, an Ebola treatment center in Rwampara, eastern DR Congo, was set on fire after relatives were denied access to retrieve a body, as Ebola remains highly contagious after death, the Associated Press reported.

Up to 26 million people are facing acute hunger, further increasing vulnerability. “Malnutrition, displacement, and weak health services contribute to higher infection risk and mortality,” the Norwegian government stated.

Redfield noted that the outbreak may have gone undetected for a long time. “It was not caught quickly. It was not picked up until there were over 100 cases,” he said. WHO believes the outbreak may have started several months before detection.

Some aid organizations point to international budget cuts as a factor. Heather Reoch Kerr of the International Rescue Committee told Politico that financing cuts had left the region dangerously exposed and forced her organization to halve its health work in Ituri province.

Norway is one of the largest donors to the WHO health crisis fund, contributing over 46 percent of its financing in 2025. The 50 million kroner is part of a broader Norwegian health effort in humanitarian crises that totaled around 657 million kroner last year.

“Stopping outbreaks early saves lives where the crisis occurs and also makes the world safer,” said Development Minister Åsmund Aukrust in a press release. The funds will be used for contact tracing, laboratory capacity, treatment, and public information.