Italy gives €50 million to fight Ebola disease
The Italian government will contribute €50 million to an EU fund set up to fight Ebola, following an outbreak which has so far claimed over 4,500 lives, Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini said on Monday.
Italy’s contribution adds to the €500 million pledged by the EU and its member countries to fight the deadly disease, as authorities struggle to contain the outbreak which began in West Africa earlier this year.
Following yesterday’s meeting in Brussels of European foreign ministers, the EU’s external affairs chief Catherine Ashton praised the “heroic efforts” of health workers.
“It is of course necessary to get additional health workers on the ground as soon as possible, as well as the necessary money and equipment, if we are to contain the spread of the disease and bring it under control,” she said in a statement.
Ebola has so far this year killed more than 4,500 people in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria, with one death in the US.
Earlier this month Zsuzsanna Jakab, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Europe director, said that cases of Ebola in the EU were “unavoidable”.
SEE ALSO: Germany wants epidemic task force
Authorities in Spain are currently waiting to give a nurse the all-clear after she contracted the disease from two missionaries returning from West Africa.
Yesterday a Norwegian medical worker was said to be free of the disease, after falling victim to Ebola while working for Doctors Without Borders in Sierra Leone.
Comments
See Also
Italy’s contribution adds to the €500 million pledged by the EU and its member countries to fight the deadly disease, as authorities struggle to contain the outbreak which began in West Africa earlier this year.
Following yesterday’s meeting in Brussels of European foreign ministers, the EU’s external affairs chief Catherine Ashton praised the “heroic efforts” of health workers.
“It is of course necessary to get additional health workers on the ground as soon as possible, as well as the necessary money and equipment, if we are to contain the spread of the disease and bring it under control,” she said in a statement.
Ebola has so far this year killed more than 4,500 people in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria, with one death in the US.
Earlier this month Zsuzsanna Jakab, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Europe director, said that cases of Ebola in the EU were “unavoidable”.
SEE ALSO: Germany wants epidemic task force
Authorities in Spain are currently waiting to give a nurse the all-clear after she contracted the disease from two missionaries returning from West Africa.
Yesterday a Norwegian medical worker was said to be free of the disease, after falling victim to Ebola while working for Doctors Without Borders in Sierra Leone.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.