These researchers would be in Africa fighting ebola—but Trump cut their funding
Summary
The Trump administration cut funding for a research network studying dangerous viruses like Ebola, which has limited efforts to fight a current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases (CREID) had sites in Africa that would normally help with testing and tracking viruses but had to stop work after funding was halted.Key Facts
- CREID is a network created by the National Institutes of Health in 2020 to study viruses that can spread from animals to people.
- The network included 10 sites worldwide, including in Central and East Africa, where outbreaks like Ebola often happen.
- CREID received about $82 million in funding over five years, which was cut in June 2024 by the Trump administration.
- The funding stop was justified by officials saying the research was “unsafe for Americans” and not a good use of money.
- CREID helped with diagnostics and virus tracking but now cannot contribute directly to fighting the 2024 Ebola outbreak in the DRC.
- The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, different from previously common strains.
- One CREID center linked to the EcoHealth Alliance lost funding partly due to conspiracy theories related to COVID-19’s origins.
- Officials at health agencies and the White House did not provide comments on the funding cuts.
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