USAID grants Senegal funding to fight Ebola outbreak

The U.S. government has granted Senegal funding to strengthen its capacity to deal with the Ebola epidemic, APA can report.

The envelope granted through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) aims to support the prevention and control of Ebola in Senegal.

The funding was provided in response to the Ebola epidemic that reappeared in Guinea in January 2021. Senegal is considered to be at high risk of the spread of the deadly disease due to its proximity to the border country.

The funds, which have been available since early March, have been allocated to three activities by USAID, which has a long-standing relationship with the government of Senegal as part of a global health security enhancement programme that also includes the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Activities to combat Ebola are expected to begin in early April. Interventions will focus on locations along the Senegal-Guinea border.

This new contribution by the US government to the fight against Ebola demonstrates its continued commitment to supporting Senegal in its efforts to improve internal health security. It is part of an expanded programme of assistance from USAID, the largest provider of resources to the health sector in Senegal, with more than US$60 million per year.

The Ebola outbreak in Guinea in 2014 spread to seven countries, including Senegal, infecting more than 28,000 people and killing over 11,000.

USAID and its partners are building on the lessons learned from the 2014 outbreak to guide ongoing response efforts, with a focus on prevention.

Suzan O /AFP