The Government is to provide an additional €778,000 in aid to Sierra Leone in response to the Ebola outbreak.
The funding will support Ebola crisis workers to manage, maintain and fuel a fleet of ambulances and burial vehicles in 12 of Sierra Leone's 14 districts. Approximately five million people across the twelve districts will benefit from the programme, which will address a need identified by Sierra Leone’s National Ebola Response Centre.
The additional funding brings Ireland's total contribution in the affected countries in West Africa to over 18 million euro in 2014.
Announcing the funding, Minister Flanagan highlighted the importance of effective logistics in tackling Ebola: “It is vital that the international community remains engaged and vigilant in responding to the Ebola crisis. This programme will improve the reach and effectiveness of the emergency vehicles and thus reduce Ebola transmission and mortality rates by ensuring that ambulances and other response vehicles are properly maintained, fuelled and decontaminated. This is another targeted and practical response by Ireland.
“Bringing the outbreak under control is a top priority for us. This means both limiting the number of deaths and helping Sierra Leone to rebuild following this devastating epidemic. Dealing effectively with the outbreak requires long term strengthening of health systems as well as support for more targeted interventions responding to changing needs on the ground.
The additional funding announced today brings Ireland’s total contribution in the affected countries in West Africa to over €18 million in 2014.
