Comparing U.S. Ebola Outbreak Response Capabilities and Practices Over Time Authors: Josh Michaud and Jennifer Kates Published: Jul 28, 2026

https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/comparing-u-s-ebola-outbreak-response-capabilities-and-practices-over-time/?utm_campaign=KFF-Global-Health-Policy&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_4_mg6ApbNggnN2nnWRA5ZfKhpuNEA7dN6Q1w7JMVmr06wF6MPgCw3KAjXVrDHBwjBsA9X6g2tpDMRm74cSw-O3tOscw&_hsmi=430464226&utm_content=430464226&utm_source=hs_email Analysis Compares the U.S. Response to the Current Ebola Outbreak to Past Ones A new KFF analysis compares the Trump administration’s response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo – the most significant international infectious disease outbreak of its second term – to earlier outbreaks during the Obama administration and first Trump administration. While the current administration significantly altered the structure of the U.S. global health response, the analysis shows that the speed of the response is on par with the prior two outbreaks. In addition, the U.S. pledge of $375 million during the first two months of the current outbreak already exceeds funding levels during the prior outbreaks. At the same time, there are still many unknowns about the U.S. response and there are distinctions from the past, including lack of formal coordination with the World Health Organization, significant changes in U.S. global health efforts, including funding reductions, and a more restrictive domestic border protection approach. The analysis includes a detailed side-by-side comparison of the U.S. response to each of the three Ebola outbreaks, including funding levels, staff deployments, research support, communications practices, multilateral engagement, domestic border protection measures, and organizational structure. It also includes background on the scope of the three outbreaks and pre-existing U.S. global health engagement in affected countries. KFF is also releasing new polling that shows much of the public has yet to form an opinion on the U.S. government’s response to the outbreak. When it comes to preventing an Ebola outbreak in the U.S., people are more likely to say that the U.S. is not doing enough (38%) than say it is doing enough (23%). This reflects a wide partisan gap in perceptions, with a majority of Democrats saying the U.S. is not doing enough to prevent an outbreak in the U.S. Republicans are more than twice as likely to say the government is doing enough than not doing enough, while the reverse is true for independents. The poll also gauges the public’s views on the nation’s preparedness for a major pandemic. Four in 10 adults (40%) say the U.S. is less prepared now than it was in 2020 when COVID-19 hit. That is up from one in four (26%) who said the same in January 2025 shortly before the start of President Trump’s second term. This again reflects a wide partisan divide. Contact: Craig Palosky | 202.654.1369 | CraigP@kff.org