EU supports ebola response with €493 million in vaccines, treatment and health aid

BRUSSELS — The European Commission said on Wednesday that it will provide €493 million (about $572 million) in funding to support the response to the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa.

The package includes frontline medical assistance for the immediate outbreak response, humanitarian aid in the Great Lakes region and Uganda, as well as support for vaccine and treatment research targeting filoviruses. It also covers longer-term efforts to strengthen preparedness and improve health systems in affected countries.

The Commission said its response has been coordinated from the outset with European Union member states, international organizations, and key partners.

“Ebola is a test of our global solidarity. As some turn inward, the EU remains present, engaged, and a reliable partner,” EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib said in a statement.

The Commission added that it continues to closely monitor the situation in coordination with its partners. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has assessed the risk to people in Europe as very low.

($1 = 0.8618 euros) -Reporting by Inti Landauro;Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta/Reuters