EU, G7 pledge support amid DRC Ebola outbreak
G7 leaders called for a "strong and coordinated response" to the latest Ebola outbreak. The EU's Ursula von der Leyen said that "health security is
G7 leaders called for a "strong and coordinated response" to the latest Ebola outbreak. The EU's Ursula von der Leyen said that "health security is shared security." The recorded death toll in DRC is approaching 200. The European Commission said on Wedensday that it was building on a support program worth some €493 million (roughly $580 million) in humanitarian aid and health security amid the latest Ebola outbreak centered around Ituri province in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This came a day after assembled leaders at the G7 summit in Evian, France appealed for a strong and coordinated international response to the outbreak, praising support efforts from the US, EU and others. According to the DRC's government late on Tuesday, the outbreak of the comparatively rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebolavirus has led to 837 confirmed cases and 196 deaths — 29 of those cases in a period of 24 hours. What did the EU say about its assistance program? The European Commission said that its funds and aid was a mixture of "frontline medical support" for the immediate outbreak response, humanitarian assistance in the Great Lakes region and neighboring Uganda, vaccine and treatment research, and "longer-term work to improve prepardeness and health systems." It said that European health authorities still deemed the risk to European citizens as low, but nevertheless officials stressed the importance of cooperation.
"This is a reminder that health security is shared security," Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. "Countries can better protect their citizens by acting together." Hadja Lahbib, the relevant European Commissioner for crisis management, called the outbreak a "test of global solidarity." "As some turn inward, the EU remains present, engaged, and a reliable partner," Lahbib said, before alluding to her recent visit to a treatment center in the outbreak area in DRC. "In Bunia, I met doctors, nurses and frontline responders working under extraordinary pressure to save lives, as well as communities living with fear and uncertainty," she said. "But they are not facing this crisis alone." Ebola response improves in Congo's Ituri province To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video What did the G7 say about the outbreak? G7 leaders gathered in the French Alps issued a joint statement calling for a "strong and coordinated response to address the health security risks" posed by the outbreak, which the World Health Organization has deemed a public health emergency of international concern. Partner countries Egypt, India, Kenya and South Korea, whose leaders were guests at the summit, also supported the call, which expressed deep sadness for the loss of life and the strain on local communities.
The BriefWire