USAID commits $126M at Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day

Global citizens actions sees USAID pledge $126 million for strong health care systems to fight Ebola and a strong response from Ebola affected nations.

In 2015, global citizens took almost 10,000 actions in response to the Ebola crisis. On April 2nd, using social media, global citizens participated in an Ebola Day of Action, specifically calling on USAID to remain committed and increase support for West Africa.

How the recent #Ebola threat in #SierraLeone was swiftly conquered: https://t.co/A5oGEflBgx#EbolaFreepic.twitter.com/r3IOW7g5X1

— USAID (@USAID) March 29, 2016

In response to these global citizen actions, Associate Administrator of USAID, Mark Feierstein, committed $126 million at Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day for the strengthening of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea’s health care systems, including vaccine and immunization drives and medical support.

Liberia’s Minister of Gender and Development Julia Duncan-Cassell also responded on the Ebola crisis, saying, “We are now celebrating zero Ebola in Liberia, but the work is not yet done. We call on the global community for continued action as we continue on the long path of recovery from Ebola”; while Sierra Leone’s Ebola Recovery Minister, Henry Macauley, pledged to mobilise additional budget resources to improve healthcare systems.

These efforts will contribute to the treatment of ongoing Ebola cases, efforts to prevent new outbreaks, and increase the resilience of healthcare systems in these countries so they can better cope with any future outbreaks or other health crises.