The UK has earmarked around £20m to help deal with the Ebola outbreak, which is believed to have claimed dozens of lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. This was announced by the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, TASR reports, according to a report by Reuters and Sky News.
In short:
- The United Kingdom has allocated twenty million pounds to the fight against Ebola
- Six hundred suspected cases are registered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- The provided funds will support the WHO, UN agencies and various non-governmental organizations
By Wednesday, 600 suspected cases and 139 possible deaths had been reported in the DRC. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the epidemic is expected to spread further.
Financial support from WHO
The funds from the Department of Diplomacy will help the WHO, United Nations (UN) agencies and non-governmental organizations. They will be used to support frontline healthcare workers, improve infection control and monitor the outbreak.
“It is imperative that we act now if we are to save lives – epidemics like Ebola don’t stop at borders and neither do we,” said Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Global cooperation and security
“This outbreak is a stark reminder that global health threats require a global response. The UK is working closely with partners, increasing much-needed funding but also sharing its technical expertise to prevent the spread of the epidemic, protect our security and support those most at risk,” added Cooper.
The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) is assessing the routes by which travelers from affected countries arrive in the UK. It has also activated a program to protect and monitor the health of people traveling from Britain to affected areas for work.
An epidemic caused by the Bundibugyo tribe
The current Ebola epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, against which there are still no approved vaccines or specific treatments. The Zaire variant was mainly spread in Africa in the past. According to the American National Institutes of Health, Bundibugyo has a lower mortality rate than it – at the level of 37 percent, while up to 90 percent of those infected succumb to the Zaire variant.
Ebola is a highly contagious viral disease with a high mortality rate that regularly occurs in the DRC, especially in remote regions with limited access to health care. It is transmitted by contact with the blood, body fluids or organs of infected animals, especially bats, which are considered natural hosts.
