The city-state will contribute US$2mil (RM8.1mil) to support the ongoing Ebola outbreak response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
Singapore’s contribution will support efforts in laboratory testing and contact tracing, infection prevention and control, and case management on the ground, the Health Ministry and the Communicable Diseases Agency said in a statement yesterday.
The contribution will be made through the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organisation (WHO), in support of the joint Continental Preparedness and Response Plan launched by the two organisations on June 5.
The current outbreak was declared an international health emergency by the WHO on May 17.
According to official data as at July 12, the number of confirmed Ebola cases across Congo has risen to 1,926.
In the statement, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said the outbreak in Congo and Uganda is a rapidly evolving situation that demands a swift and coordinated international response.
“We have prioritised our contribution to getting the right supplies to the right places quickly, and supporting the healthcare workers on the front lines,” he said.
The effort to support the Ebola outbreak response comes after Ong announced in May that Singapore will contribute US$12mil (RM48.8mil) over four years to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
The coalition is a global partnership that aims to develop safe and effective vaccines within 100 days of identifying a new pandemic threat. — The Straits Times/ANN
