The EU will partner with the European pharmaceutical industry to finance 215 million euros (US$248 million) in research projects to fight Ebola, mainly to develop vaccines and diagnostic tests, it announced on Friday.
The funds come on top of 24.4 million euros that the European Commission, the executive arm of the 28-nation EU, released in November last year to boost research for a vaccine and treatment for the deadly disease, which has ravaged West Africa.
“Eight research projects to develop vaccines [and] rapid diagnostics tests are being funded with a total of 215 million euros,” the commission said in a statement.
The commission said it will contribute 114 million euros, while the pharmaceutical industry will provide the other 101 million euros.
“There is no vaccine or treatment against Ebola as yet, so we must urgently step up our efforts in Ebola research,” European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Carlos Moedas said in a statement.
The joint fund will lead to “speeding up the development of an Ebola vaccine, as well as rapid diagnostic tests to aid heroic health workers,” he said.
One test, led by the Grameen Foundation linked to Bangladesh Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, involves mobile technology that reminds people when they need vaccine boosters and also collects health data.
The WHO expressed optimism on Thursday after fresh figures showed the three West African countries worst-hit by Ebola had all seen a clear drop in new cases of the deadly virus.
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