BRUSSELS, June 17 (Reuters) – The European Commission said on Wednesday it will fund the response to the ebola outbreak in Central Africa with a €493 million ($572 million) financial aid package.
• The amount comprises frontline medical support for the immediate outbreak response, humanitarian assistance in the Great Lakes region and Uganda, vaccine and treatment research for filoviruses as well as longer-term work to improve preparedness and health systems.
• The Commission response to the outbreak has been coordinated from day one with Member States, international bodies and partners.
• “Ebola is a test of our global solidarity. As some turn inward, the EU remains present, engaged, and a reliable partner,” Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib said in a statement.
• The Commission continues to monitor the outbreak closely in cooperation with its partners though the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control currently assesses the risk to people in Europe as very low.
($1 = 0.8618 euros)
(Reporting by Inti Landauro;Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)
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