Joint media release:
- Minister for Foreign Affairs, The Hon Julie Bishop MP
- Minister for Health, The Hon Peter Dutton MP
The Australian Government will immediately provide a further $7 million to support the international response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. We share the international community’s deep concern over the recent Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in West Africa.
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.
The Australian Government will provide $2.5 million for the World Health Organization’s (WHO) consolidated regional response, and $2.5 million to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to support the provision of frontline medical services.
Following a request from the United Kingdom, an additional $2 million will be provided to support their delivery of front-line medical services in Sierra Leone.
This brings the total Australian Government contribution to the Ebola outbreak response to date to $8 million.
This assistance is in addition to the over $20 million Australia will contribute to the WHO in 2014 and 2015 and the further $20 million Australia provides annually to support WHO’s global health activities, including to respond to disease threats.
While Ebola is a very serious disease, there have been no cases of Ebola in Australia and the risk of an outbreak in Australia remains low. Australia has robust border protection systems and our infection control measures in hospitals are first rate.
Australian health authorities will continue to regularly communicate on this issue, closely monitor the situation overseas and assess the efficacy of our border measures.
We strongly advise Australians to reconsider their need to travel to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, and to leave these countries while commercial means are still available. Further information on the implications of the Ebola outbreak for Australian travelers can be found on the Smartraveller website (smartraveller.gov.au).
Media enquiries
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