Singapore contributes $2.5m to support Ebola outbreak response in Congo and Uganda
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Singapore’s contribution will support efforts in laboratory testing and contact tracing, infection prevention and control, and case management on the ground.
PHOTO: REUTERS
SINGAPORE – Singapore will contribute US$2 million (S$2.5 million) to support the ongoing Ebola outbreak response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
Singapore’s contribution will support efforts in laboratory testing and contact tracing, infection prevention and control, and case management on the ground, the Ministry of Health and the Communicable Diseases Agency said in a joint statement on July 14.
The contribution will be made through the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO), in support of the joint Continental Preparedness and Response Plan launched by the two organisations on June 5.
The current outbreak was declared an international health emergency by the WHO on May 17.
According to official data as at July 12, the number of confirmed Ebola cases across DRC has risen to 1,926, including 702 deaths.
In the statement, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said the outbreak in DRC and Uganda is a rapidly evolving situation that demands a swift and coordinated international response.
“We have prioritised our contribution to getting the right supplies to the right places quickly, and supporting the healthcare workers on the front lines,” he said.
Singapore’s contribution will be used to secure key medical supplies. These include:
Diagnostic and laboratory equipment to scale up testing and contact tracing.
Personal protective equipment and infection prevention and control supplies for front-line healthcare workers.
Essential medicine, fluids, blood products, oxygen, and critical care equipment for treatment units and hospitals.
The effort to support the Ebola outbreak response comes after Ong announced in May that Singapore will contribute US$12 million over four years to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
The coalition is a global partnership that aims to develop safe and effective vaccines within 100 days of identifying a new pandemic threat.
In 2024, Singapore contributed $24 million to the WHO’s inaugural round of investment into improving protection from health emergencies.
The Republic also provided mpox diagnostic kits and testing supplies in the same year, which enabled up to 50,000 tests to support the Africa CDC’s mpox response.
