The United States Government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided $400,000 USD (approximately 220 million CFA) to support Ebola preparedness activities in Senegal.
This support comes in response to the January 2021 Ebola outbreak in Guinea. Senegal is considered to be at high-risk for the spread of the deadly disease due to its proximity to neighboring Guinea. The 2014 Ebola outbreak spread to seven countries, including Senegal, infecting over 28,000 people and claiming more than 11,000 lives. USAID and its partners are using lessons learned from the previous outbreak to inform current response efforts, with a strong focus on prevention.
The Ebola funds arrived in early March and have been allocated to three USAID activities which have a long relationship working with the Government of Senegal on global health security efforts, including the COVID-19 response. Ebola activities are expected to begin in early April. Most of the effort will focus on areas along the Senegal border with Guinea. The funds will be used to strengthen Ebola-related national health communication campaigns, targeted training for health professionals, coordination systems for outbreak preparedness and response, and surveillance efforts, particularly at ports of entry, border crossings, and high-risk regions.
This recent Ebola donation demonstrates USAID’s continued engagement with the Government of Senegal to improve health security across the country. This is part of a larger package of support from USAID, which is the biggest donor to Senegal’s health sector, providing over $60 million USD annually. USAID has been a key development champion in Senegal for 60 years, working with individuals, communities and the government to improve everyday lives.