Brussels: The European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, has announced an additional £16.5 million in EU support aimed at halting the Ebola outbreak. This announcement follows her visit to frontline responders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and discussions with the African Union and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Ethiopia.
According to Emirates News Agency, the new funding includes £6.5 million dedicated to the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative. This initiative focuses on equipping frontline teams, training healthcare workers, and enhancing surveillance through improved diagnostics. Furthermore, £5 million will be allocated to the World Health Organisation to bolster surveillance and ensure access to essential supplies such as personal protective equipment (PPE). An additional in-kind contribution valued at £5 million, comprising testing equipment like rapid diagnostic devices and laboratory test kits, will be rapidly deployed to areas in need. This support is pending approval from the budgetary authority.
During her visit to Bunia in the DRC, Commissioner Lahbib engaged with frontline health workers and humanitarian partners involved in Ebola treatment, infection prevention, community engagement, and logistics. In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, she met with the African Union and Africa CDC to enhance coordination and expedite actions across borders.
Commissioner Lahbib emphasized the importance of global cooperation in health security, stating, "Health security is a shared responsibility: viruses do not stop at borders; they do not care about politics. Europe will continue to stand with Africa CDC, with WHO, and with the communities on the front line of this outbreak. This is about more than containing a virus. It is about proving that when lives are at stake, the world can still come together and act."
Previously, in May, the European Commission had allocated £15 million for emergency humanitarian assistance to address the Ebola crisis in the DRC and Uganda. By 2026, over £115 million is projected to be allocated for emergency humanitarian support in the Great Lakes Region and Uganda. Additionally, the EU Humanitarian Air Bridge, in collaboration with UNICEF, has delivered nearly 100 tonnes of supplies to eastern DRC, including medicines, protective equipment, infection-control materials, and tents. The EU is also planning five more flights to the DRC to continue this support.