The European Union (EU) has donated 500,000 euros to Guinea-Bissau to enable it tackle the cholera epidemic ravaging the country. About 12,000 people have been reported down with the ailment out of which 200 have already died. According to the statement, the donation will be entrusted to the NGO — “Médecins sans Frontières-Spain” — which is already present on the ground. The money will enable the NGO to continue supporting the local health centres with a view to dealing decisively with the epidemic. “In addition to the treatment of the patients, measures such as the disinfection or purification of water, the cleansing and the promotion of hygiene, will be implemented in the high-risk zones to avoid the spread of the disease,” the statement said. It added that the EU was already financing, to the tune of 6 million euros since 2004, initiatives to reduce the impact of the epidemic in West Africa. Under the programme, several thousands of people have been vaccinated. The latest donation followed the one million euros donated to the entire Africa in June with which humanitarian organisations had tackled meningitis, meningitis , yellow fever and measles.
