EU boosts funding to fight Ebola epidemic

Brussels, July 30 (IANS) The European Union Wednesday allocated an additional 2 million euros ($2.68 million) in aid to tackle the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

This brings the EU's humanitarian funding in response to the worst Ebola outbreak in West Africa to 3.9 million euros ($5.2 million).

"The level of contamination on the ground is extremely worrying and we need to scale up our action before many more lives are lost," Xinhua reported citing Kristalina Georgieva, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, as saying in a statement.

The EU has deployed experts to the affected countries to help assess the situation and coordinate with the authorities, she said.

The additional funding will help contain the spread of the epidemic and provide immediate health care to the affected communities.

EU support will be delivered through partner organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

To date, the outbreak of the Ebola epidemic has been reported in three countries: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone with a total of 1,200 cases and 672 deaths.

This is the largest recorded Ebola outbreak in terms of cases, deaths and geographical coverage, according to the WHO.