UK Provides £50 Million More to Support Ebola Response in Congo
Britain Increases Funding for Ebola Outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo
Overview of the Funding Announcement
Sept 1 (Reuters) - Britain said on Tuesday it would provide more than £50 million ($67.56 million) in new funding to support efforts to contain an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where confirmed cases have surpassed 6,000 in the country's largest-ever epidemic.
Previous and Current Contributions
• Britain allocated up to £20 million to the Ebola response in May, and the latest funding brings its total contribution to £78 million.
Allocation of Funds
• The funding will support disease surveillance, frontline health workers, treatment access, infection control, community outreach and safe burials, Britain's Foreign Office said.
Deployment of Public Health Experts
• British public health experts have been deployed in Congo to support the efforts.
Official Statements
• "As the outbreak intensifies, we are accelerating our response to match the pace and scale of the challenge," Britain's Minister for Africa Kirsty McNeill said.
Background on the Ebola Epidemic
Details of the Outbreak
• The epidemic - the second-largest and fastest-spreading on record - was caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments.
Exchange Rate Information
($1 = 0.7401 pounds)
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Sumedha Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Jamie Freed)
