The European Commission said it is supporting the response to the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda with €493 million in humanitarian aid and health security funding.
G7 leaders called for a strong and coordinated response to the outbreak, according to a statement published on Wednesday by the Council of the EU.
The Commission said the €493 million brings together frontline medical support for the immediate response, humanitarian assistance in the Great Lakes region and Uganda, research into vaccines and treatments for filoviruses — a family of viruses that includes Ebola — and longer-term work to improve preparedness and health systems.
The EU executive said its response has been coordinated “from day one” with EU member states, international bodies and partners.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “Health security is shared security… Global solidarity is the only option when the world faces a common threat.”
Risk to Europe assessed as very low
The risk to people in Europe is currently assessed as “very low” by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the Commission said.
It added that it is monitoring the outbreak in cooperation with partners and that the EU’s Health Security Committee, which brings together member state representatives, meets weekly to coordinate the response.
