Brussels, 17/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 17 November in Brussels, European foreign ministers held a brief exchange of views on scaling up the European response to tackling the Ebola epidemic and cover the costs of medical equipment, trained personnel in the most affected countries and to help neighbouring countries tackle the virus. Christos Stylianides, the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, is also the EU coordinator for the fight against Ebola and has just returned from a mission to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, with the Commissioner for Health, Vytenis Andriukaitis. They briefly provided ministers with their most recent on-the-ground evaluation of the different needs identified (EUROPE 11194).
The coordinator pointed out that “I have seen for myself how much is being done on the ground, in very difficult circumstances, and how much more needs to be done to stop Ebola's spread”. Stylianides paid homage “to the bravery of humanitarian workers” and appealed, “to all Health Ministers to send more medical staff to West Africa”.
€29 million from Commission. Calling for words to be matched by deeds, the European Commission decided on the same day to earmark €29 million to fight the epidemic. The Council and Federica Mogherini, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, welcomed this news. This new funding brings the aid earmarked by the European Commission in response to this crisis up to €373 million since March
Medical equipment and evacuation. €17 million will be transferred to transport vital medical equipment; to evacuate to hospitals in Europe international medical personnel who have possibly been infected, and to train and deploy medical staff on the ground. €12 million will help neighbouring countries affected by the epidemic.
Swedish medical personnel. On Monday, Sweden announced that through the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism, it would be sending out a number of medical personnel including 42 doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, as well as a treatment centre that these healthcare professionals will operate.
As EUROPE goes to press, the Commissioner was getting ready to present MEPs from the European Parliament's development committee with a mission balance sheet. This will be followed by a European press briefing on Tuesday, together with the Commissioner for Health. (AN)