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'I'm not coming empty-handed!' - EU crisis chief announces supplementary €5 million for Ebola diagnostic centres after Africa CDC call

"European Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib arrived in Bunia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on Sunday, announcing a supplementary €5 million fund to establish diagnostic centres in hard-to-reach areas as the Ebola outbreak persists in the region. The move follows an appeal by Africa CDC Director Dr Jean Kaseya for greater Western engagement in combating the epidemic spreading across the country and neighbouring nations. Footage shows Lahbib and other delegates landing at Bunia International Airport before touring the Bunia Evangelical Medical Centre and speaking with on-site medical staff. "This is the purpose of my presence: to tell you that we are with you and to thank you for your leadership, whether it be the health institutions, the governor's office, or our partners on the ground," Lahbib remarked. "I am not coming empty-handed: I am bringing an additional five million euros to create regional diagnostic centres in the hardest-hit provinces, to enable rapid and reliable testing where it is most needed," she announced, stressing Brussels' commitment to support the outbreak containment 'from the outset'. It comes after World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday announced a $518 million six-month ‌joint plan to fight Ebola. According to media reports, the EU has mobilised recent airlifts delivering around 100 tonnes of supplies to Bunia, with ECHO and UNICEF jointly chartering eight flights to transport essential aid to Ituri as part of efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak. On Friday, Africa CDC Director Jean Kaseya questioned Western engagement, suggesting a stronger response would have followed had the outbreak occurred in Western countries. 397 cases and 63 deaths have been reported across the DRC and Uganda to date. An Ebola outbreak was declared by the DRC and Uganda on May 15, after laboratory tests confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease. The World Health Organisation (WHO) designated it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17."