In a stark condemnation of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) handling of the recent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that the agency was “a little late” in recognising the severity of the crisis. His remarks come as the United States grapples with significant public health cuts that have raised concerns about its preparedness for future epidemics.
Late Recognition of the Crisis
During a press briefing at the US embassy in Rome on 19 May 2026, Rubio expressed frustration over the WHO’s delayed response, asserting that primary leadership roles should fall to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the WHO. “Unfortunately, they were a little late to identify this thing,” he remarked, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
These comments are particularly poignant given the backdrop of Donald Trump’s controversial withdrawal of the United States from the WHO, which some experts have labelled as a move that “sowed the seeds of the next pandemic.” This decision, made shortly after Trump resumed office last year, resulted in the loss of nearly 2,000 jobs—approximately a quarter of the WHO’s workforce.
US Response and Aid Challenges
In response to the outbreak, which has claimed the lives of an estimated 131 individuals in the DRC, the US has pledged around $13 million in assistance. Rubio announced plans to establish around 50 clinics aimed at treating Ebola patients in the region. However, he acknowledged the logistical challenges posed by the area’s rural landscape and ongoing conflict. “It’s a little tough to get to because it’s in a rural area… and a hard-to-get-to place in a war-torn country,” he stated, signalling the complexities of delivering aid effectively.
The WHO has declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern,” warning that neighbouring countries are at high risk due to population movement and trade links. The organisation has called for enhanced international cooperation to tackle the outbreak and has cautioned against unilateral travel bans that could exacerbate the situation.
Critique of the US Public Health Strategy
Experts have been quick to counter Rubio’s critique of the WHO. Gigi Gronvall, an immunologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, argued that blaming the WHO is misguided, given their operational limitations and the security challenges in the region. She emphasised that the real concern lies in the diminished capacity of US public health services, stating, “It is a strategic mistake – and a national security vulnerability – that we are worse off now to handle infectious disease threats than at the start of Covid-19.”
This sentiment was echoed by Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Brown School of Public Health, who pointed out that the CDC was only informed of the outbreak when it was publicly confirmed, suggesting a significant shift in the US government’s role in global health matters. “It feels like the US government is on the sidelines this time,” she lamented, reflecting a growing anxiety about the nation’s ability to respond to emerging public health threats.
A Troubling Trend in Public Health Funding
The backdrop of these criticisms is a troubling wave of layoffs across US health agencies, initiated under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs from the Department of Health and Human Services’ workforce of 82,000. As the nation faces the repercussions of these drastic budget cuts, experts warn that the erosion of public health infrastructure could leave the country vulnerable to future epidemics.
The recent hantavirus outbreak, while not expected to escalate into a global health crisis, underscores the precarious state of US public health. With political divisions and rampant misinformation, the public’s trust in health guidance is at risk, further complicating efforts to address both current and future health emergencies.
Why it Matters
The critique of the WHO by a high-ranking US official underscores a deeper malaise within global health governance, particularly as the US pulls back from its traditional leadership role. As the Ebola outbreak continues to unfold, the implications of reduced funding and workforce in public health could have catastrophic consequences—not only for the nations directly affected but also for global health security as a whole. The ongoing crisis highlights the urgent need for coordinated international efforts and robust public health systems capable of responding swiftly to emerging threats.