Australia pledges USD 6.4 million to fight Ebola
Iran Press TV
Wed Sep 17, 2014 1:36PM GMT
Australia says it will provide an additional 7 million Australian dollars (USD 6.4 million) to contribute to the international campaign to contain the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa.
The fresh funds include AUD 2 million requested by Britain to help that country deliver medical services in Sierra Leone, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said in a statement on Wednesday.
Another AUD 2.5 million will go to the World Health Organization's regional response plan, and AUD 2.5 million will be given to Medecins Sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, for medical services, she said.
"Health systems in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea are under severe strain, and the United Nations assesses that these countries are facing a humanitarian emergency," Bishop added.
The Australian government had previously promised to provide AUD one million to the international response to the spread of the deadly disease.
The World Health Organization announced on Tuesday that the death toll from the Ebola infection has surpassed the 2500 mark.
Health officials say there is a low risk of an Ebola outbreak in Australia as no cases of the fatal disease have been reported in the country yet.
Ebola is a form of hemorrhagic fever whose symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding. The virus is transmitted through direct contact with infected blood, feces or sweat, sexual contact or the unprotected handling of contaminated corpses.
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