Today’s announcement of an additional $3.6 million is supporting the following emergency assistance activities to address the Ebola outbreak in the West Africa region. The allocations to support relief operations include:
- $1 million to Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to provide adequate isolation and protection measures to reduce and contain the spread of the Ebola virus and to provide care to the affected population; and,
- $2.6 million to the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) to strengthen the field response to the outbreak and mitigate associated threats to health and security.
To date, Canada’s financial contribution totals $5,010,000 in support of humanitarian and security interventions that are addressing the spread of the Ebola virus in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
The Government of Canada is taking a whole-of-government approach to aggressively fight the Ebola outbreak in the West Africa region. Including today’s announcement:
- Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD) is providing a total of $2.95 million to the WHO to strengthen the field response to the outbreak and mitigate associated threats to health and security.
- The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is providing $200,000 to the WHO through the International Health Grants Program. These funds are supporting the WHO’s request to member countries to help support in-country operational costs and the coordination and deployment of international technical expertise. The Agency is also providing on-the-ground laboratory diagnostic support.
- DFATD’s International Humanitarian Assistance Program is contributing $1.7 million to support humanitarian interventions led by MSF to reduce and control the spread of the virus in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and to provide care to those affected.
- DFATD has also provided a total of $160,000 to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the response to the outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone through its Emergency Disaster Assistance Fund, which is managed by the Canadian Red Cross Society. This includes $35,000 to support the Red Cross Society of Guinea; $70,000 to support the Liberian Red Cross Society (two contributions of $35,000); and $55,000 to support the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society (two contributions: $35,000 and $20,000).
- DFATD is also supporting the deployment of four Canadian Red Cross delegates to Guinea and Sierra Leone to support the IFRC’s response efforts through the DFATD-Canadian Red Cross Strategic Partnership.
The Emergency Disaster Assistance Fund
The Emergency Disaster Assistance Fund (EDAF) is a draw-down fund administered by the Canadian Red Cross Society that allows for immediate Canadian support to IFRC emergency operations in response to sudden-onset small- and medium-scale humanitarian situations, including natural disasters, non-recurrent health epidemics, and conflicts. The EDAF increases the effectiveness and timeliness of assistance to crisis-affected people.
For more information on how Canada responds to humanitarian crises through the Emergency Disaster Assistance Fund, please visit our web site.
Travel Advice
There are no confirmed cases of Ebola in Canada and the risk to Canadians remains very low.
The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends that:
- Canadians avoid all non-essential travel to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone due to the ongoing Ebola virus outbreak. This recommendation is to protect Canadian travellers and make it easier for health officials in these countries to dedicate their resources towards controlling the outbreak. The risk of infection is low for most travellers; however, the risk may be increased for those who are working in a health care setting or for travellers who require medical care in affected areas as most human infections result from direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected patient. There may also be difficulties accessing health care services due to the increasingly burdened health care system.
- Travellers to Nigeria should practise special precautions to reduce the risk of transmission of Ebola virus disease. There have been probable and suspected cases reported in Lagos, Nigeria, related to the outbreak in neighbouring countries.
For the latest advice and more information from the Government of Canada, Canadians should consult the Government of Canada’s Travel Health Notice on the Ebola Outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The Government of Canada has a number of systems in place in Canada to identify and prevent the spread of serious infectious diseases like Ebola, as well as provide ill patients with the best possible care.
We also have comprehensive procedures in place at our borders to identify sick travellers arriving in Canada. These are set out in the Quarantine Act, which is administered 24 hours a day, seven days a week at every point of entry into Canada.
In addition, hospitals in Canada have infection-control systems and procedures in place that are designed to limit the spread of infection, protect health care workers, and provide the best care possible for the patient. PHAC also has a series of infection-control guidelines that are used by health care institutions across the country.
