UN Foundation Launches Fund to Support United Nations’ Ebola Response

Today, the United Nations Foundation, in coordination with UN partners, announced a special fund that will enable individuals, corporations and civil society organizations to directly support UN entities engaged in the Ebola outbreak response in West Africa.

The scale of the ongoing Ebola outbreak is unprecedented, with more than 4,700 cases and over 2,400 deaths reported, primarily in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak a Grade 3 emergency – its most severe designation – and has deployed almost 500 experts to the region to supplement country-based staff.

WHO is working with the governments of affected countries, as well as other UN entities, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and non-governmental organizations, to coordinate and harmonize support for the outbreak response.

On August 28, WHO launched a roadmap for stopping Ebola transmission and treating those infected with Ebola virus. The UN estimates that $600 million is needed to fully fund the Ebola outbreak response, with $490 million needed specifically for WHO’s roadmap.

“The Director-General of WHO and other experts have emphasized that we can halt this deadly outbreak with appropriate resources and political will,” said Kate Dodson, Vice President of Global Health for the United Nations Foundation. “In this time of crisis, the UN Foundation wants to channel as much support as possible to the UN’s efforts on Ebola. For this reason, we established the Ebola Response Fund to offer a simple way for virtually anyone to contribute directly to these efforts.”

Contributions to the UN Foundation Ebola Response Fund will be channeled exclusively to UN entities. The Fund will initially direct donations principally to WHO, given its significant funding needs. Donations will support WHO in providing technical assistance to governments of Ebola-affected countries, through field coordinators, epidemiologists, infection prevention and control experts, data managers and logisticians. They will also be used to procure supplies, such as personal protective equipment and chlorine.

To learn more about the Ebola Response Fund, visit www.unfoundation.org/ebolafund
For media inquiries, please contact:
Chelsea Hedquist 202.290.8440 chedquist@unfoundation.org 

The United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach. Through innovative campaigns and initiatives, the Foundation connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by global corporations, foundations, governments, and individuals. For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org.