OSLO, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have strengthened cooperation to support the response to ongoing Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO Europe) said Tuesday.
The cooperation aims to help national authorities rapidly contain transmission, protect communities and strengthen regional preparedness, the Copenhagen-based WHO Europe said in a news release.
With EU support, WHO is scaling up coordinated action on surveillance, infection prevention and control, community engagement and the continuity of essential health services, in close cooperation with national authorities and partners.
The EU is allocating 15 million euros (17.44 million U.S. dollars) in humanitarian funding to support emergency operations in affected areas, as well as preparedness and prevention efforts in countries neighboring the DRC and Uganda. Of the total, 5 million euros (5.81 million dollars) is earmarked for WHO, according to the release.
The EU has also launched a Humanitarian Air Bridge operation to deliver 100 metric tonnes of emergency supplies to eastern DRC, including sample collection kits, viral haemorrhagic fever kits and medicines, as well as surge capacity for expert teams on the ground.
The EU and WHO said they would continue working together to bring the outbreaks under control and strengthen resilience against future health emergencies.
