Rubio slams WHO Ebola response as US public‑health budget shrinks

“The lead is obviously going to be CDC and the World Health Organization, which was a little late to identify this thing unfortunately,” Rubio told reporters.

In a terse briefing, Senator Marco Rubio castigated the WHO Ebola response, labeling it “a little late” as the virus resurfaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. He urged the Centers for Disease Control to assume primary coordination.

WHO Ebola response under fire

Rubio’s remarks echo growing frustration in Washington over what officials describe as “sweeping public‑health cuts.” The Government Accountability Office reports that U.S. public‑health spending has been trimmed by ↓ 10% over the past two fiscal years. Reuters noted that the CDC’s emergency fund also faced reductions, raising concerns about outbreak readiness.

Reported by Eleanor Cross (Chief Washington Correspondent).