King Abdallah of Saudi Arabia grants $35m to fight Ebola in west Africa

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has extended a grant of US$35 million to help fight Ebola in West Africa.
In a statement to the media on this occasion, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) said that the Ebola fighting programme, initiated by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and implemented by IDB, comprises the following elements: 1- Providing schools with thermal sensors and medical examination equipment designed to diagnose the disease, thereby facilitating its treatment and preventing its spread. The equipment will allow governments to open schools for the current academic year. Pupils will be examined at entry to ensure they have not contracted the disease, thus reassuring parents about the safety of their children at school.
2- Providing thermal sensors and medical examination equipment at airports, railway stations and bus stations to diagnose the disease and ensure early treatment.
3- Establishing a specialized treatment centre in each of the three endemic countries, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, designed to serve suspected cases in schools, hospitals and public transport, and wherever contamination is likely to occur in crowded conditions. Suspected cases will be received in these centres for further medical tests before they are referred for specialized treatment if necessary.
4- Establishing a specialized treatment centre in Mali where Ebola appears to have broken out but is not widespread. The centre will help the country’s health authorities cope with potential epidemics in the future.
The IDB President emphasised that the kind donation made by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques will further boost the Islamic world’s efforts in supporting the international fight against Ebola. He added that the equipment financed by this donation will speed up the opening of schools in the countries concerned, reinforce the institutional and health infrastructure to fight the current epidemic, thus saving thousands of lives and ensuring the safety of those at risk of contamination.