• Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called for tighter EU border coordination over the Ebola outbreak in Central and East Africa
• Meloni requested that border surveillance measures be discussed during the EU council meeting scheduled for June 18-19
• The Italian leader also proposed an emergency videoconference of EU health ministers “as early as next week”

Italy has called for stronger European Union border coordination following the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged EU leaders to tighten border monitoring measures, according to a government statement released on Friday, May 29.

In a letter addressed to EU leaders, Meloni requested that border management be included in discussions at the upcoming EU council meeting scheduled for June 18-19.

“The aim is to call for, with full respect for national prerogatives in the field of health protection, enhanced coordination of border surveillance through common rules for managing direct and indirect arrivals from the affected areas,” the government wrote in a statement.

Meloni also requested a videoconference involving EU health ministers “as early as next week” to discuss the growing health concern.

The World Health Organisation declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo on May 15.

According to the WHO’s latest figures up to May 24, the country has recorded 10 confirmed deaths and 223 suspected Ebola-related deaths from more than 1,000 confirmed and suspected infections.

In neighbouring Uganda, authorities have confirmed one death and six additional Ebola cases.

The WHO warned that the actual spread of the disease could be significantly higher than current figures indicate.

In response, Italy has activated “targeted health surveillance and monitoring protocols” for travellers arriving from the affected countries.

The Italian government also announced that a team of specialists from Rome’s Spallanzani Hospital, known for its expertise in infectious diseases, will travel to Kinshasa this weekend to provide technical support as well as medical supplies and treatment assistance.

UN releases $60m emergency fund as rare Ebola outbreak spreads across Central Africa

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the United Nations had approved up to $60 million in emergency funding to strengthen efforts to contain the growing Ebola outbreak linked to the rare Bundibugyo virus strain currently affecting parts of Central Africa.

The emergency intervention came just five days after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, raising concerns over the rapid spread of the disease and the absence of an approved vaccine or targeted treatment for the Bundibugyo strain.