Ottawa is pledging nearly $1.3 million to help fight the deadly Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa.
Canada's Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development department announced $1,285,000 in funding on Friday, the same day the World Health Organization announced that the outbreak has been linked to 137 deaths in the region, the majority of which have been in Guinea.
The UN health agency has identified more than 220 suspected or confirmed cases of Ebola in Guinea and its neighbouring Liberia.
Minister of International Development Christian Paradis said it is of "critical importance" to end the chain of Ebola transmission.
"We must ensure strong surveillance and investigation as well as a coordinated response to new or suspected cases," he said in a statement released Friday. "Canada's support will play a critical role in responding to and preventing the spread of this deadly disease."
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said in a statement that Ebola doesn't "recognize borders" and represents a "global problem."
The European Union announced Thursday that it was increasing its aid to those providing care for Ebola patients to 1.4 million euros
There is no vaccine and no cure for the deadly virus, which attacks the patient’s immune system and causes hemorrhagic fever.
The WHO has described the spread of the Ebola in West Africa as one of the most challenging outbreaks of the diseases the international community has ever faced.
