GENEVA, January 25. /TASS/. Russia’s contribution to the international effort to fight the deadly Ebola virus is estimated at around $60 million, an international department head of Russia's health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said on Sunday.
Speaking at the special session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Committee in Geneva, Vyacheslav Smolensky reminded that since August 2014, a Russian mobile laboratory has been operating in the Republic of Guinea.
Russian virologists have been providing both practical and consultative services to local authorities. In November, Russia deployed a 200-bed mobile hospital to Guinea. In mid-January, an infection hospital, sponsored by Russian aluminum giant Rusal, was opened in Kindia, the country’s third largest city.
Experts say that despite the current economic crisis, Russia is among the leading countries for financing the effort to fight against Ebola taking into consideration the GDP per capita and allocated funds.
In particular, Russia’s government has earmarked $4.5 million for the WHO, $3 million for the World Bank, $2 million for the UN Children’s Fund, $1 million for the UN Multi-Donor Trust Fund and $6.6 million for the International Civil Defence Organization (ICDO).
Russia is also participating in the joint effort to create a vaccine against the Ebola virus, which is expected to be ready for mass use in early 2016, the director of the Health Ministry’s department Marina Shevyreva said.