Health ministers consider joint response against ebola

17.10.14 | News
Mail Facebook Linkedin Twitter
In the light of the ebola epidemic, the Nordic ministers for health and social affairs have called on the Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers to look at the options for a co-ordinated Nordic response. The goal is to limit the risk of infection and provide access to resources and treatment, as well as Nordic co-ordination of safe medical evacuation of infected patients.

When the Nordic ministers for health and social affairs met in Copenhagen on 16 October, it was decided to include a point specifically addressing the ebola epidemic in the declaration on the future of co-operation on health. The Nordic countries are involved in supporting the relief work in different ways, and will be directly affected when infected patients come home.

Nordic public health preparedness agreement

The Nordic countries entered into a public health preparedness agreement in 2002 which has since been expanded and strengthened.

"The Nordic countries have many years' tradition for co-operation in public health preparedness. Naturally we wish to use the public health preparedness agreement between the countries in this situation to see how a co-ordinated Nordic response can help in this serious situation", says the Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, Dagfinn Høybråten.

Related content