European Commission allocates €2.1M for Ebola diagnostic tests

The European Commission has announced the procurement of €2.1 million in open-platform PCR diagnostic tests to support the response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Supported by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency, these tests will be donated to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global health emergency logistics hub in Dubai, with deliveries expected to begin before the end of August.

This agreement follows a recent €2.5 million procurement of rapid molecular tests and diagnostic equipment for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. In total, the European Union has mobilized €4.6 million in diagnostic resources to combat the outbreak. EU Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib emphasized that rapid detection is critical to treating patients and halting the spread of the virus.

The current outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, was identified in May and affects the DRC and Uganda. While the outbreak has seen significant confirmed cases, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control maintains a ‘very low’ risk level for the European population.