Dr. Deborah Birx on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," May 24, 2026

TL;DR

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is concerning due to a likely delay of several weeks in reporting, making it hard to assess the true rate of new cases.
Despite the severity, the U.S. has a robust preparedness system, including bio-containment facilities in multiple hospitals and a proactive interagency Ebola response task force.
Dr. Birx stresses the critical need to strengthen the African CDC to improve early detection and response to such outbreaks.
Concerns about U.S. funding cuts to USAID and the WHO are addressed, with Birx pointing to significant immediate funding and personnel deployed by the current administration.
While acknowledging the importance of having confirmed agency heads, Birx assures that the U.S. has a 'deep bench' of experienced personnel ready to respond to infectious disease threats.

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