Khalifa orders Dh18.3m grant to fight Ebola

Under the directives of the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the U.A.E. Armed Forces has ordered a grant of Dh18.3 million ($4.9 million) to combat Ebola virus in the affected states, which includes Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia in West Africa, in the interest of the country's leadership to fight infectious diseases and to join international efforts to stop their spread.

The grant comes in response to UN appeal to combat Ebola virus and will be channelised through the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of International Cooperation and Development (MICAD), who announced the grant, commended the directives of the wise leadership represented by the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the support of General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the U.A.E. Armed Forces and the intensive follow-up of  Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, which put the U.A.E. in the ranks of the leading countries in the world to combat serious and infectious diseases that threaten human begins around the globe.

Sheikha Lubna pointed out that UAE is seeking through its multiple efforts to ensure a world free of diseases through its firm cooperation and its partnership with relevant international organisations.

She also stressed that such assistance reflects the U.A.E.'s commitment of the importance of strengthening global efforts and to provide channels of support and relief, health care and all vaccination campaigns for countries affected by the spread of serious and infectious diseases, warning that the spread of Ebola virus disease not only represents a threat to the lives of people in the West African region, but poses a threat to the lives of all human beings.

The U.A.E.'s response to the call of the United Nations aims to achieve five major goals, which are stopping the spread of the disease and treatment of patients, the provision of basic services, maintaining stability and prevention in countries that were not affected by the infection so far.

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