Binance has announced a humanitarian grant of $250,000 to support those on the front line of the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
The funding will be divided equally between the Ugandan Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to support urgent interventions in affected and high-risk communities.
Binance’s contribution will help to strengthen medical assistance and emergency care, community awareness and prevention campaigns, contact tracing and containment support, as well as the provision of hygiene products and personal protective equipment for frontline workers.
Caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments, this Ebola outbreak has placed severe strain on the already fragile healthcare systems in the eastern DRC and the wider region.
A key objective of the funding is to enable a rapid response in high-risk, underserved areas, where access to healthcare infrastructure, protective resources and timely public health information remains limited. By supporting both immediate response efforts and preventative education, Binance aims to help reduce transmission and strengthen community resilience.
“Communities across Africa continue to demonstrate extraordinary resilience in the face of complex challenges, but those on the front line should not have to face crises like this alone,” said Richard Teng, co-CEO of Binance. “The teams working to contain the Ebola outbreak are providing vital, life-saving support under incredibly difficult conditions. We are proud to support both the Ugandan Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières in their work to protect vulnerable populations, strengthen local response efforts and provide urgent care where it is most needed.”
Robert Kwesiga, Secretary General of the Ugandan Red Cross, said: “Strong partnerships are essential during public health emergencies, as we are unable to manage the outbreak on our own. Binance’s support comes at just the right time and will help us respond more quickly, reach more at-risk communities and strengthen the frontline services needed to contain the outbreak and save lives.”
Trish Newport, MSF’s emergency programme manager, said: “The number of cases and deaths we are seeing in such a short space of time, combined with the spread across several health zones and now across borders, is extremely worrying. In Ituri, many people already struggle to access healthcare and live in a state of constant insecurity, making rapid intervention crucial to prevent the outbreak from worsening further.”
