The following is attributable to Acting Spokesperson Pooja Jhunjhunwala:

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green spoke with the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Friday to discuss efforts to respond to the outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) amid increasing security concerns and how to best support the Government of DRC and its partners to control the disease.

Administrator Green expressed his condolences to the Director-General for the attacks on WHO staff members on November 27, 2019, in the Eastern DRC, as well his gratitude to the WHO's frontline responders for their continued work and dedication. In addition, Administrator Green and the Director-General agreed that collaboration and coordination among all humanitarian-assistance agencies and non-governmental organizations is critical to deliver a unified response that can expedite an end to the outbreak.

Finally, Administrator Green and the Director-General discussed additional Ebola-preparedness activities that also could address other health challenges in the DRC, such as malaria, measles, and polio.