Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the World Health Organization on Tuesday, saying the agency was “a little late” in identifying the deadly Ebola outbreak spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
Speaking to reporters, Rubio said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would take the lead in the U.S. response, while also noting that the WHO had been slow to recognize the seriousness of the outbreak.
“The lead is obviously going to be CDC and the World Health Organization, which was a little late to identify this thing unfortunately,” Rubio said.
The comments came as health officials continue monitoring a growing Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 100 people and raised fears of further spread across Central Africa.
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Rubio said the United States has committed about $13 million in assistance after cutting aid earlier in the year and is hoping to help open around 50 clinics to treat Ebola patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He acknowledged that response efforts will be difficult because many affected areas are rural, hard to reach and located in a war-torn region.
“It’s a little tough to get to because it’s in a rural area and a hard-to-reach place in a war-torn country,” Rubio said. “We’re going to lean into that pretty heavily.”
The outbreak has also renewed debate over the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw the United States from the WHO, a move critics warned could weaken international health coordination during global disease emergencies.
Supporters of the administration argue that the WHO has repeatedly moved too slowly and that the U.S. should rely more heavily on its own public health agencies and direct partnerships with affected countries.
The WHO said it remains concerned about the scale and speed of the outbreak as health workers race to contain new infections and prevent additional cross-border spread.
Ebola is one of the world’s most dangerous viral diseases, spreading through direct contact with bodily fluids and often requiring rapid isolation, treatment and contact tracing to stop transmission.
The latest outbreak is expected to remain a major test for international health agencies, regional governments and U.S. public health officials as they work to contain the virus.
BREAKING – Rubio says WHO was 'a little late' on identifying Ebola outbreak https://t.co/xlyYXxCn3y pic.twitter.com/kb31sHKrR1
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