Brussels: The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) announced that the European Union Commission has allocated 17.5 million euros to bolster efforts to contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak across Africa. The announcement was made through a post on Africa CDC’s official X account.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Africa CDC’s Director-General, Dr. Jean Kaseya, recently met with Ms. Hadja Lahbib, the European Union Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness, and Crisis Management. Their discussions centered around the Ebola outbreak response and the broader health collaboration between the African Union and the European Union. Dr. Kaseya expressed gratitude towards the EU, stating, “The @EU_Commission reaffirmed its strong support to Africa CDC by allocating 17.5 million euro to support the Ebola response. We thank the EU for this timely and concrete support.”
The post further highlighted Kaseya’s commitment to working with partners to enhance preparedness, surveillance, and response strategies across the continent. Meanwhile, NAN also reported that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) regarding the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. This declaration followed the protocols outlined in the International Health Regulations (IHR).
WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, addressed the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva, stating that the PHEIC was declared on May 18 due to escalating concerns about the outbreak. For the first time, a PHEIC was declared before convening an Emergency Committee. Dr. Ghebreyesus noted that the decision under Article 12 of the IHR involved consultations with health ministers as part of the response to the epidemic’s scale and speed. The Emergency Committee is set to meet to consider temporary recommendations on managing the rapidly expanding outbreak.