Global Health Institute

On May 8, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) declared a new outbreak of Ebola. According to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the new Ebola vaccine, rVSV-ZEBOV, will be used for the first time after being declared 100 percent effective in 2016. Just before the formal declaration of the outbreak, President Trump proposed to rescind $252 million in emergency funds remaining from the original $5.4 billion allocated to fight the disease in 2015.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched by the Government of China, provides a robust financing system and resources through which China can facilitate its global health strategy. The BRI spans countries that contain almost two-thirds of the world’s population and account for one-third of the world’s wealth, creating new opportunities for trade, investment, economic activities, technological innovation, and the movement of people.