Europe pledges more money for Ebola fight as Mali confirms first case
Ebola has spread to Mali, which borders Guinea, one of three countries struggling to contain the disease. European officials have pledged more funding and named a coordinator to oversee aid efforts in West Africa.
A health worker takes the temperature of a man Tuesday on the outskirts of Conakry, Guinea, as part of the West African country's fight against the spread of Ebola.
Youssouf Bah/AP
The European Union secured 1 billion euros ($1.26 billion) to fight Ebola in West Africa on Friday, alleviating pressure from critics who say the 28-member bloc wasn鈥檛 doing enough to help stop the epidemic.聽
British Prime Minister David Cameron announced the ahead of the EU鈥檚 self-imposed deadline, the Associated Press 谤别辫辞谤迟蝉.听
The EU had raised over half of its targeted goal before European leaders met Thursday for a meeting in Brussels,聽the AP reports. Britain led the final push when it pledged an additional 100 million euros ($126 million) late Thursday, but it wasn鈥檛 immediately clear which other countries made last-minute contributions.
鈥淭he epidemic is far from being contained and ,鈥� European Commission President Jose Barroso told reporters in Brussels, according to Bloomberg News. 鈥淭his is a multi-faceted threat that requires a coordinated response.鈥�
The EU鈥檚 fundraising announcement followed confirmation Thursday of the first Ebola case in Mali, making it the sixth West African nation affected by the virus.
The EU has come聽under increased pressure to step up its support for affected countries. Last week, former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said in an interview with the BBC that he was to Ebola.
鈥淚 point the finger of blame at the governments with capacity,鈥� Mr. Annan said, adding that African nations could do a better job responding to the outbreak, too. 聽
In addition to increasing its funding, the EU also appointed a coordinator to lead its efforts against the outbreak in West Africa. Christos Stylianides, a trained dental surgeon and European Parliament member from Cyprus, will become the on Nov. 1, Reuters reports.
From Mali, the BBC reports that the country's first Ebola patient聽 who recently arrived from Guinea. Malian health officials are monitoring dozens of people who have been in contact with her, including 10 health workers.
" together with members of her family who might have been exposed to the virus," a Mali health ministry spokeswoman told CNN.聽
Kayes lies about 300 miles west of Mali鈥檚 capital, Bamako. The BBC reports that people in the capital are afraid, but that 鈥渓ife is carrying on as normal.鈥�
A few people have stopped shaking hands but physically greeting people is an important part of life in Mali and for most this has not changed ... 聽
With the support of the WHO, Mali's health system has been preparing for an outbreak of Ebola for several months. But there is a culture here of visiting people when they are sick to wish them a speedy recovery.
This will have to change if Ebola becomes more widespread.
In a report released Wednesday, the World Health Organization said and that it remains 鈥減ersistent and widespread鈥� in West Africa. The virus has infected nearly 10,000 people this year, almost all in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
The WHO announced earlier this week that vaccine trials were expected to begin in West Africa in January.