BAMAKO – European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO) said it would continue to work with its partners to support Mali’s efforts to fight against Ebola outbreak, following last week’s confirmation of the first case.
ECHO’s Bureau Chief in Mali, Patrick Barbier, made the disclosure in a statement issued on Tueday in Bamako.
Barbier said “proper coordination of actors is paramount to stopping the spread of Ebola virus in Mali.
“We must contain this disease just as Senegal and Nigeria did, by reinforcing surveillance measures and enhancing the country’s capacity to isolate and treat any eventual case.
“Under the coordination of Mali’s health ministry, several actions have been undertaken by ECHO and its partners.’’
The bureau chief cited the setting up of an isolation unit and a centre for treatment of patients in Kayes, western Mali, where the first Ebola case was confirmed in the country.
The Ebola virus first appeared in Guinea in March this year and rapidly spread to neighbouring countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia.
The ECHO bureau chief said that since April, the EU, through ECHO, responded by mobilising financial, human and technical means to support activities of humanitarian organisations such as Doctors Without Borders and the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red-Crescent.
“The European Commission managed to mobilise close to 200 million Euros, out of which, 52 million Euros went to emergency humanitarian aid.
“EU member states on their part mobilised over 600 million Euros.’’
Mali had equally received a 775,000-dollar support from China and medical equipment from the World Health Organisation to help it fight against the epidemic. (Xinhua/NAN)
