Paris: France will step up its support for efforts to eradicate Ebola in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Saturday during a visit to a region hit by the virus, warning that it could quickly resurge if vigilance waned.
- Barrot made rare trip by a Western leader to the north-eastern Congolese city of Bunia, where a laboratory-confirmed case of mpox was identified in mid-September.
- France allocated €13.4 million (R25.1m) to the fight against Ebola between January and July.
- Barrot said he would propose additional humanitarian funding for Ebola during upcoming French budget discussions.
- France’s response came through humanitarian aid, medical research and the Prism programme launched during President Emmanuel Macron’s 2023 visit.
- A national humanitarian conference is to be held in Paris on October 6, during which Ebola is to be discussed.
- “Ebola may seem far away to some people or political leaders but it can return very quickly. Our responsibility is to prevent those resurgences,” Barrot told reporters in Bunia.
- Barrot praised Congolese authorities, UN agencies, humanitarian organisations and medical workers for containing the epidemic and preventing it from spreading to major urban centres in Congo and beyond.
- “There is no need to fear or worry. First and foremost, we must fight the epidemic where it emerges,” Barrot said when asked whether it could spread after a case was reported in France.
- France plans to increase support for Ebola eradication efforts in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.
- Barrot visited Bunia, a city in North-Eastern Congo, where a confirmed mpox case was identified in mid-September.
- France provided €13.4 million for the fight against Ebola from January to July and will propose additional humanitarian funding in upcoming budget discussions.
- French efforts include humanitarian aid, medical research, and the Prism programme launched during President Emmanuel Macron's 2023 visit.
- A national humanitarian conference in Paris on October 6 will include discussions on Ebola, with Barrot emphasizing vigilance to prevent resurgence.
