Ireland Provides €500,000 to the WHO’s Emergency Appeal to Respond to Coronavirus

The Government is allocating €500,000 to the World Health Organization to assist its vital work to help control the spread of the Coronavirus.

Announcing this allocation, the Tánaiste said:

“The rapid spread of the Coronavirus concerns us all. Ireland sends its deepest sympathies to those who have been affected and salutes the work of the dedicated health service professionals who are assisting those communities most impacted.

While the virus is currently concentrated in China, the WHO assesses that it may spread further and is a particular concern in regions where health systems could quickly be overwhelmed. It is vital to take early, coordinated action to prevent further spread of the virus.

Global Health challenges require a coordinated global response. That is why Ireland is supporting the leadership role of the WHO through an allocation of €500,000 to its Strategic Response and Preparedness Plan. This will be used to support countries in preparing for and responding to the Coronavirus. Ireland’s international support is complementary to our domestic preparedness efforts led by the Health Service Executive. We all share the overriding goal of minimising the impact of this epidemic.”

ENDS

Notes for Editors

The novel Coronavirus outbreak, centred in China, has so far killed over 490 people, and infected more than 24,000. The virus has spread to over 20 countries, and following a visit to China, by Irish national, Dr. Mike Ryan Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies. Programme, the outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern
Intensive, coordinated efforts are required to prevent further spread of the virus, and provide support to those responding. To this end, the Irish government today allocated €500,000 in funding to the World Health Organization, which is coordinating global efforts to combat the spread of the virus.
Ireland has advanced plans in place as part of its comprehensive preparedness to deal with public health emergencies such as novel Coronavirus (2019 nCoV). These plans have helped us to respond to previous incidents such as pandemic influenza, SARS and MERS.
The National Public Health Emergency Team meets weekly, in the Department of Health, to continue its review of Ireland’s ongoing preparedness in line with the advice from the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).