EU increases funding aid to contain Ebola outbreak

The European Union Friday announced an additional 8 million euro for its efforts to contain the spread of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
It brings the total EU aid in 2014 to fight the Ebola epidemic to 11.9 million euro.
"We are determined to fight the further spread of the deadly epidemic. Many lives depend on our immediate assistance. Our support will ensure urgently-needed healthcare and the strengthening of preventive measures," said Kristalina Georgieva, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, in a statement.
In addition, a second "European mobile laboratory" will be deployed in the coming days, most likely to Sierra Leone, to provide essential support to diagnostics and testing, she noted.
EU humanitarian experts have been deployed to the affected countries to undertake the assessment and coordinate with the health authorities and humanitarian partners on the ground.
The Ebola epidemic is taking a devastating toll in the four affected countries, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. To date, the outbreak has seen 1,711 cases and 932 deaths, including many health workers.