PARIS, Oct 3 (Reuters) – France will step up its support for efforts to eradicate Ebola in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Saturday during a visit to a region hit by the virus, warning that it could quickly resurge if vigilance waned.
* Barrot made rare trip by a Western leader to the northeastern Congolese city of Bunia, where a laboratory-confirmed case of mpox was identified in mid-September.
* France allocated €13.4 million ($15.1 million) to the fight against Ebola between January and July.
* Barrot said he would propose additional humanitarian funding for Ebola during upcoming French budget discussions.
* France’s response came through humanitarian aid, medical research and the PRISM programme launched during President Emmanuel Macron’s 2023 visit.
* A national humanitarian conference is to be held in Paris on October 6, during which Ebola is to be discussed.
* “Ebola may seem far away to some people or political leaders, but it can return very quickly. Our responsibility is to prevent those resurgences,” Barrot told reporters in Bunia.
* Barrot praised Congolese authorities, UN agencies, humanitarian organisations and medical workers for containing the epidemic and preventing it from spreading to major urban centres in Congo and beyond.
* “There is no need to fear or worry. First and foremost, we must fight the epidemic where it emerges,” Barrot said when asked whether it could spread after a case was reported in France.
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(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Toby Chopra)
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