Australia will provide an additional $10 million to the international response to the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in West Africa.
This will bring Australia’s total contribution to the Ebola response to $18 million and is in addition to the more than $40 million provided to the World Health Organisation over the past year to support global health activities.
Australia shares the international community’s deep concern over the Ebola outbreak, and is responding to the United Nation’s call for immediate funds through a newly established UN Ebola Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF).
The Government has assessed that, at this stage, financial contributions are the best and most efficient way Australia can make a rapid contribution to the global response and support front line health services in the affected countries.
The United Nations is urgently seeking USD 50 million from donors to meet immediate needs over the next four weeks including for logistics to deliver equipment, materials and supplies to Ebola response operations; establishment and operation of care centres; and case detection and contact tracing.
Australia will provide the funds immediately, making a significant contribution to the funding goal.
The Australian Government continues to closely monitor the situation in West Africa and update the Smartraveller website (www.smartraveller.gov.au). We continue to advise Australians to reconsider their need to travel to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
The Australian Government has very limited capacity to provide consular assistance in these countries, and does not have the capacity to evacuate Australians with Ebola from West Africa to Australia at this time.