Kinshasa: The UK government has pledged up to £20m in support to help contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring Uganda.
The funding will be used to support frontline healthcare workers, strengthen infection prevention systems and improve monitoring efforts as authorities attempt to control the spread of the virus.
The announcement comes as Congolese health officials reported nearly 600 suspected Ebola cases and 139 suspected deaths linked to the outbreak.
Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper said the international community must act quickly to prevent further loss of life and reduce the risk of wider regional transmission. She stressed that outbreaks such as Ebola require a coordinated global response because infectious diseases do not stop at national borders.
The UK government said health and foreign affairs officials would continue coordinating efforts to support affected countries and protect British nationals abroad.
The funding package is also expected to help improve disease surveillance, emergency response systems and medical support in areas heavily affected by the outbreak.
The UK Health Security Agency has activated monitoring measures for workers travelling between the UK and affected regions in Africa.
Health authorities are also reviewing travel routes into Britain to ensure travellers receive information about Ebola symptoms and health precautions.
Officials said the overall risk to the UK public remains low despite the seriousness of the outbreak in Central Africa. Ebola is a highly infectious and often fatal disease spread through direct contact with bodily fluids from infected individuals.
Symptoms can include fever, severe fatigue, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pain and internal bleeding in severe cases. The outbreak has raised growing concern among global health agencies as medical teams continue working to prevent wider international spread.
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