Senators Push Secretary Rubio to Deploy Ebola Relief Funds for Women and Infants

Lisa Murkowski and Jeanne Shaheen wrote to Secretary Marco Rubio, requesting that $608 million earmarked for international family planning be used to combat the Ebola crisis threatening women and newborns in the DRC and Uganda. They also asked for the rapid shipment of $1.7 million worth of contraceptives, condoms, hormonal pills, and medicines for post-rape and hemorrhage care that are currently held in Geel, Belgium, noting that the stock would otherwise be destroyed.

The senators emphasized that Ebola infection during pregnancy leads to almost universal fetal loss and severe maternal hemorrhage, making voluntary family-planning a critical lifesaving tool. Their letter sought a humanitarian exception to enable UN Population Fund health clinics to continue operating in the affected regions. CDC data cited 3,532 cases and 1,556 deaths in the DRC, with 20 cases and two deaths in Uganda, underscoring the urgency of immediate intervention.