Over the past week, EU-supported shipments of Ebola personal protective equipment, sent by France and Germany, have arrived in Guinea to support the authorities in their Ebola response. The consignments include nearly 43,000 items of protective medical garments and equipment, 96,000 gloves, 850 goggles, laboratory material and PCR testing kits. Earlier on, Belgium delivered 760,000 protective masks. These consignments, coordinated through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, are in response to a request for assistance made at the outset of the outbreak by the Republic of Guinea after the Ebola virus disease resurfaced in the country.
Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management said: “I thank Belgium, France and Germany for these additional offers of assistance to support hospitals and testing laboratories in epidemics control in Guinea. This coordinated action is a further concrete example of the EU acting together in response to an emergency.”
In addition to this assistance, France has already delivered, also through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, more than 500 protective equipment kits. The EU co-finances up to 75% of the transport costs of assistance deployed through the Mechanism. Further assistance given the by EU includes €3.2 million in funding mobilised to support the health response and patient care.
On 14 February, the Republic of Guinea reported an Ebola outbreak in the country, the first one in the region since the deadly 2013-2016 outbreak. As of 4 May 2021, 23 Ebola virus disease cases have been notified in the current outbreak – 16 confirmed and 7 probable. The situation continues to be monitored closely.
Publication date
10/05/2021