It said, in addition, a second "European mobile laboratory" will be deployed in the coming days, most likely to Sierra Leone, to provide essential support to diagnostics and testing.

"We are determined to help prevent the further spread of the deadly epidemic. Many lives depend on our immediate assistance. Our support will ensure urgently-needed healthcare and the strengthening of preventive measures through our partner organisations which are helping around the clock to provide life-saving assistance to the victims," said Kristalina Georgieva, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response.

EU Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs, stated: "Saving lives and providing further support to West Africa is now more than ever an urgent priority. We have therefore decided to mobilise today’s additional assistance from the European Development Fund. New medical supplies and the mobile laboratory will help to meet the pressing needs in the region and improve capacities to detect the virus".

The additional EU funding will provide immediate healthcare to the affected communities and help contain the spread of the epidemic, the release said, adding that the aid will be channeled through the European Commission's humanitarian partners on the ground, including UN agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations.

Humanitarian experts from the Commission have been deployed to the affected countries to undertake the assessment and coordinate with the health authorities and humanitarian partners on the ground.

The release noted that the Ebola epidemic is taking a devastating toll in the four affected countries, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

To date, the outbreak has seen 1711 cases and 932 deaths, including many health workers.

LINA PTK