BRUSSELS, September 05. /ITAR-TASS/. The European Commission announced on Friday €140 million funding for the countries affected by the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa.

"The situation is going from bad to worse, despite the brave efforts of humanitarian organizations and despite early and substantial assistance provided by the international community, including the EU... We need to pool our efforts and provide adequate air transportation and medical equipment to our partners in order to fight this menace," the European Commission quoted Kristalina Georgieva, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, as saying.

A total of €97.5 million will be spent in Budget Support operations to Liberia and Sierra Leone, to reinforce governments’ capacity to deliver public services - in particular healthcare - and macro-economic stability, the commission said, adding that €38 million will be used to strengthen healthcare systems, including in the areas of healthcare provision, food security, water and sanitation. Five million euros will be allocated to provide mobile laboratories for the detection of the virus and training health workers.

The Ebola virus outbreak that started in December 2013 has already killled more than 1,900 people in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria and Guinea.