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As the Democratic Republic of Congo continues its fight against a deadly Ebola outbreak, the UAE has stepped in to help the African nation by sending vital medical supplies.

The move came under the directives of Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, and was carried out by Dubai Humanitarian. Twenty metric tonnes of critical medical supplies were airlifted to DRC in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to support efforts to combat Ebola.

So far there have been 381 confirmed cases in Congo and 62 confirmed deaths, according to Africa Centres for Disease ​Control and Prevention (CDC). There has been a steady increase in recent days, with cases also reported in seven health zones in North Kivu province and one health zone in South Kivu province.

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On Friday, the WHO announced a $518 million six-month joint plan to fight Ebola, calling for money and political commitment to halt the spread of the outbreak that is already the fourth biggest on record.

“It's time-bound plan covering June to November this year, and ... the cost of the plan is at $518 million," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announcing the strategy with Africa CDC.

“The outbreak is moving fast and we are still playing catch-up," he said. "Containing Ebola requires political commitment, sustained finances and trust in engaging the communities," he added.

The epidemic persisted for weeks undetected, the Africa CDC said at the same briefing, leaving health authorities now behind the curve and struggling to bring it under control.

The rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is no approved treatment or vaccine, is responsible for the current outbreak.

"This outbreak is very serious. If you compare with previous Bundibugyo outbreaks this is the most serious Bundibugyo outbreak we have," Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said at the same press conference.

Africa CDC announced the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, Congo's 17th Ebola outbreak, on May 15, and the World Health Organization swiftly declared it a public health emergency ‌of international concern.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Ebola outbreak: Deaths rise to 131 in Congo; WHO chief 'deeply concerned' WHO reports sharp drop in suspected Ebola cases in Africa from 906 to 116 UAE confirms it is ready to address any emerging situations related to Ebola virus