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EU names Stylianides as new Ebola czar

October 24, 2014

The European Union president has named Christos Stylianides to coordinate the bloc's fight against the Ebola virus. Stylianides has said he hopes to go to West Africa to learn more about the outbreak.

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Audioslideshow EU-Kommissare in 2014 bis 2019 Christos Stylianides
Image: imago

Stylianides, who is to serve as the new EU commissioner for humanitarian aid, was named as the Ebola coordinator in a tweeted message by Herman Van Rompuy.

Eurpean foreign ministers agreed earlier in the week that a single European official to head the fight against Ebola would be the best way to unite the 28 member states' approach to dealing with the disease.

The role will involve bringing together the various different strands of dealing with the disease - for instance provision of finding, medical staff and facilities - between different EU nations.

Earlier on Thursday, the European Commission - which serves as the EU's executive arm - said it was in a "race against time" to get ahead of Ebola.

Formidable fatality rate

The Commission released a further 24.4 million euros ($3 million) to pay for research into finding a vaccine against the disease, which currently has a fatality rate of some 70 percent. Officials have said they are working with industry to develop both drugs and diagnostics.

In a statement, the Commission said the funds would be fast-tracked "in order to start work as soon as possible."

During confirmation hearings to become a commissioner, Stylianides told members of the European parliament that he was prepared to got to the affected region within West Africa to learn more about the situation on the ground.

Earlier on Thursday, the African Union said member states would send some 1,600 volunteer health workers to Ebola-affected countries. The continent's slow response to help the stricken nations has come under criticism.

Three African doctors who were working in West Africa have been treated in separate hospitals in Germany, one of whom, from Sudan, died. There was one non-fatal infection within Europe itself when a Madrid nurse caught Ebola from a patient she was caring for, but later recovered.

Earlier in the week, Washington confirmed it had appointed a former chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden and Al Gore, Ron Klain, as Washington's new Ebola chief.

rc/av (AFP, dpa, Reuters)