Following the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Uganda, declared on September 2022, the European Union (EU) has mobilised further emergency funding of €3 million to support the response to the outbreak.
Part of this funding (€1.5 million) will support the World Health Organization in its coordination and surveillance activities, safe and dignified burials, as well as logistics and follow up and care of survivors.
€1 million will be allocated to UNICEF to address infection prevention and control, as well as risk communication and community engagement; while €500,000 will be allocated to the International Rescue Committee for preparedness and infection prevention and control in the most exposed refugee settlements.
“We are exploring all available options for providing additional support in responding to the Ebola outbreak”, stressed Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, last Friday.
The EU has already allocated €200,000 to the Uganda Red Cross Society, to support its activities on coordination, surveillance with contact tracing, risk communication, community engagement, and safe and dignified burials.
An additional €100,000 was allocated to the Kenya Red Cross, to support its preparations in the at-risk locations in view of possible cases in Kenya; and €50,000 to help the Red Cross prepare in South Sudan.
As of 19 October 2022, in Uganda there had been 64 confirmed cases for the Ebola Virus-Sudan strain, with up to 25 confirmed deaths – including four health workers. There is no known vaccine for this strain.
“The EU remains in contact with the Uganda authorities, the WHO, and partners on the ground on further steps. In addition, the EU team on the ground has been reinforced with the short-term deployment of a health expert,” said Janez.
