Foreign trade and development minister Lilianne Ploumen attended a closed meeting on the Ebola outbreak in New York on Thursday. President Barack Obama and government leaders from West Africa were also present.
According to Ms Ploumen, it is important to examine how possible negative secondary effects arising from the international response to the outbreak can be avoided. ‘It is vital to isolate the disease without cutting off the already fragile economies of the countries affected. This will require close coordination between all the parties involved.’
Earlier this week, Ms Ploumen met with a number of CEOs of Dutch companies that are active in West Africa. ‘It is important to understand the impact Ebola has on their operations and their staff. At the same time, I want to take stock of the private sector’s capacity to contribute to the fight against the disease,’ she said. A follow-up will take place in The Hague next week when the minister meets with a number of the companies concerned.
On Thursday the minister pledged an additional three million euros to curb the spread of Ebola in West Africa. The money will come from the WASH Fund for responsible water use and sanitation. ‘Both are essential in preventing Ebola infection, so I decided to link this contribution specifically to fighting this deadly disease,’ Ms Ploumen explained.
The WASH Fund focuses on improving water management, hygiene and sanitation in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and is implemented by UNICEF. The minister has decided to channel an as yet unspent 3.8 million dollars (roughly 3 million euros) from the Fund to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) response in these three countries.
The World Health Organization estimates that the Ebola outbreak has already claimed at least 2,800 lives. Some 5,900 people are infected, and that number is expected to increase substantially. Last week Ms Ploumen announced the Netherlands would provide 15 million euros to fight the disease.
