The United Nations has allocated $3 million to strengthen Ebola preparedness in the Central African Republic as concerns grow that the disease could spread across the border from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher approved the funding through the Central Emergency Response Fund, according to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
Dujarric said the risk of Ebola reaching the Central African Republic has increased after cases were confirmed in provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo that share a border with the country.
The funding will be used to improve disease monitoring, expand isolation and response facilities, increase community awareness and improve access to clean water. These measures are intended to help authorities and humanitarian organizations prepare for a possible Ebola outbreak.
The Central African Republic is already facing a serious humanitarian situation caused by armed conflict, flooding, disease outbreaks and instability in neighboring countries. Around 2.3 million people, representing more than one-third of the country’s population, are estimated to require essential humanitarian assistance.
Meanwhile, the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is reportedly expanding rapidly. A senior UN disease coordinator said Friday that more than 2,500 people have died during the past three months, highlighting the growing scale of the health emergency.
The UN funding is therefore aimed at strengthening preventive measures in the Central African Republic before the disease has an opportunity to spread further across the region.
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