April 18, 2014 - The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, the Honourable John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, today announced a joint funding contribution of $1,285,000 to address the current outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa.
“In a situation like the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa, it is of critical importance to implement measures to end the chain of transmission,” said Minister Paradis. “We must ensure strong surveillance and investigation as well as a coordinated response to new or suspected cases. Canada’s support will play a critical role in responding to and preventing the spread of this deadly disease.”
“Biological threats such as the current Ebola outbreak do not recognize borders,” said Minister Baird. “They represent a global problem that requires coordinated international action across multiple sectors, including health and security. Canada’s contribution underscores the importance of obtaining cooperation from various sectors to help prevent, detect and rapidly respond to infectious diseases.”
“The Government of Canada welcomes the World Health Organization’s rapid efforts to address this outbreak of Ebola, one of the most virulent diseases known to humans,” said Minister Ambrose. “Canada is pleased to join other countries in this response and urges other donors to support the WHO.”
A backgrounder follows.
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Outbreaks of Ebola can have serious public health and security impacts because of the possible spread and high fatality rate. A rapid and effective response to an outbreak can help reduce these impacts, thereby protecting the health and safety of communities and enhancing international security.
The Government of Canada is contributing $1,285,000 to help address the current outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa:
- The Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada’s (DFATD) International Humanitarian Assistance Program is contributing $700,000 to support humanitarian interventions to control the spread of the virus in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and to reduce mortality in the affected populations.
- The Public Health Agency of Canada will provide $200,000 to the World Health Organization (WHO) through the International Health Grants Program. These funds will support the WHO’s request to member countries to help support in-country operational costs and the coordination and deployment of international technical expertise.
- Through the Emergency Disaster Assistance Fund, an ongoing DFATD-funded project with the Canadian Red Cross, the Canadian Red Cross has automatically allocated $35,000 to an International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) appeal responding to the outbreak.
- DFATD’s Global Partnership Program will provide $350,000 to the WHO to support complementary security-relevant response activities, including the deployment and sustainment of an international outbreak-response team.
The Public Health Agency of Canada and DFATD will continue to work closely together with the WHO and other partners as the situation in West Africa evolves.
