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Ebola virus Shutterstock

Ireland commits a further €144K to fight worst Ebola outbreak in history

The outbreak started in Guinea in early 2014 and has spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone.

THE IRISH GOVERNMENT has committed an additional €144,000 to help fight the spread of Ebola in West Africa.

Joe Costello, the Minister for Trade and Development, made the announcement this morning – one of his last acts in the role after being demoted in today’s junior ministry reshuffle.

The funding will be used to train health workers, provide protective health equipment, and support local Ministries of Health.

Costello stressed the importance of the international response to the outbreak, which started in Guinea in early 2014 and has spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Ebola patients have been identified in more than 60 separate locations across the three countries. It is the worst outbreak of the highly-contagious virus in history.

“Sierra Leone and Liberia are partner countries for Ireland’s aid programme and we have already provided almost €230,000 to fight the disease in West Africa. This new funding will go to help the international efforts which are being coordinated by the World Health Organisation (WHO),” Costello said.

“There is serious concern about the spread of the regional outbreak to Sierra Leone and Liberia and the WHO has deployed 150 experts to west Africa to help prevent the further spread of the virus.

“The situation remains very precarious. Irish Aid and our Embassy in Freetown are closely monitoring the situation, and coordinating response efforts with Governments and other UN, EU and NGO partners,” he added.

Deaths

Latest reports from the WHO state that there have been a total of 888 Ebola cases, including 539 deaths, since February.

The funding announced today consists of €100,000 to the International Rescue Committee in Sierra Leone to help fund awareness training, training of health workers and protective gear and hygiene materials, and €44,350 to support the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Liberia.

Ireland has already also provided €85,000 to Concern Worldwide for their programme that aims to prevent the spread of Ebola through community awareness training and health and hygiene awareness in Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Irish Aid is the Government’s programme of overseas assistance. It is managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Read: Emergency talks look for ways to halt worst outbreak of Ebola in history

Read: West Africa’s Ebola virus outbreak is now “out of control”

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14 Comments
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    Mute John Flood
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    Jul 20th 2021, 10:14 PM

    Exciting technology but please don’t call these passengers “astronauts”!

    129
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    Mute Larry Betts
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    Jul 20th 2021, 10:23 PM

    @John Flood: Space cadets

    113
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    Mute Sean Kirwan
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    Jul 20th 2021, 11:16 PM

    @John Flood: pretty sure anyone that leaves earth’s atmosphere is an astronaut.

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    Mute James Ward
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    Jul 21st 2021, 1:02 AM

    @Sean Kirwan: That’s what the discussion is about – both went above the original Karman line where aeronautics stop working (wing lift) and astronautics kick in (speed is needed), but way before a stable orbit. Like calling yourself an aeronaut because you took a flight to Spain, these guys were all exactly what passive human cargo always – passengers in an Astroplane/Rocket.

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    Mute William Tallon
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:46 PM

    To the left of the ‘s’ and the right of the ‘e’?

    55
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    Mute Larry Betts
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:52 PM

    @William Tallon: orbit further than that

    28
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    Mute William Tallon
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    Jul 20th 2021, 10:04 PM

    @Larry Betts: A pretty sharpish reply there! Your definitely keen on these puns. Sharp as well, sharper than a newly sharpened edge even…

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    Mute Larry Betts
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    Jul 20th 2021, 10:21 PM

    @William Tallon: Sharper than a sharpened talon I would suggest

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    Mute William Tallon
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    Jul 20th 2021, 10:31 PM

    @Larry Betts: They don’t come much sharper…

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Jul 20th 2021, 10:35 PM

    @William Tallon: I can categorically state that no one on the journal is as sharp as Larry betts lol. Him excellent.

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    Mute Larry Betts
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    Jul 20th 2021, 10:37 PM

    @Paul Gorry: Thanks for your recommendation. PG tips are always welcome

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Jul 20th 2021, 10:39 PM

    @Larry Betts: ye see this is what I mean! The proof is in the pudding ha ha.

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    Mute Mick Tobin
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    Jul 20th 2021, 11:14 PM

    Perhaps in order to reach space you need to risk burning up in the earth’s atmosphere in order to return, and if this is the case then neither Branson nor Bezos pulled it off, and likely it’s Elon Musk who’s biding his time, to eventually put people into a one-round orbit to claim the ultimate and perhaps only fair prize of the first real tourist space trip.

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    Mute Tony Gordon
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    Jul 20th 2021, 11:43 PM

    @Mick Tobin: and if an orbit is what’s required, then you’d have to rewrite the history books (Shepard and Glenn didn’t make it)

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    Mute John Considine
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    Jul 21st 2021, 12:14 AM

    @Mick Tobin: Mark my words, Musk intends to orbit the moon on his first flight. He won’t land or anything, that’s been sold to NASA for 2024, but I strongly suspect he’ll go up in one of the earlier orbital missions.

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    Mute Mick Tobin
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    Jul 21st 2021, 12:17 AM

    @Tony Gordon: Well maybe we can distinguish between different classes of astronauts, e.g. class N (Nasa 80km line – Brandon), class K (Karman 100km line – Bezos), and class O (completing at least one orbit).

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jul 21st 2021, 12:43 AM

    @John Considine: from such humble beginnings in apartheid South Africa. A true embodiment of the American dream

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    Mute Teddy Bear
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    Jul 21st 2021, 8:20 AM

    @John Considine: what do you mean by sold?

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    Mute Vincent Bickerstaffe
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:40 PM

    Anyone know what the Edge of Earth is?

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    Mute Liam McDonald
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:42 PM

    @Vincent Bickerstaffe: Leitrim

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:46 PM

    @Vincent Bickerstaffe: near Bono usually

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    Mute pkunzip doom2.zip
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:47 PM

    @Vincent Bickerstaffe: Longford is outer space

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    Mute Vincent Bickerstaffe
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:50 PM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: aha..good one..

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    Mute Vincent Bickerstaffe
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:51 PM

    @Vincent Bickerstaffe: 10:45.. ISS flying over head

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    Mute Tony Gordon
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    Jul 20th 2021, 11:41 PM

    @Vincent Bickerstaffe: technically falling not flying

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    Mute Phil Redmond
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    Jul 21st 2021, 7:26 AM

    @Vincent Bickerstaffe: It’s round. It doesn’t have an edge or am I not allowed say that in case I offend some flat earth nutcase

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    Mute Matt
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    Jul 20th 2021, 10:32 PM

    Who cares its not relevant

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    Mute Mick Tobin
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    Jul 21st 2021, 2:13 AM

    @Matt: Not relevant to what? It’s obviously relevant to your online presence since you cared to comment.

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    Mute Pauliebhoy
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:55 PM

    Down the back of the sofa?

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    Mute alan hickey
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    Jul 21st 2021, 2:52 AM

    Bezos comes across as an as hole compared t Branson

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    Mute David Dineen
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:41 PM

    Your about two weeks too late, this debate was had when Branson blasted off to space,

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jul 20th 2021, 9:54 PM

    @David Dineen: pretty sure the edge of space existed before July 2021. It does in fact exist but its hard to define. That’s why there’s a 20km discrepancy, huge if you’re going point to point on a map but when you’re going up 20km is almost literally nothing

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    Mute Ken Loughman
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    Jul 21st 2021, 2:12 PM

    I cannot help but post this:

    https://youtu.be/lYSOmYyNHpU

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    Mute Linus Robin
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    Jul 21st 2021, 4:49 AM

    It’s wherever the Lord JB says it is I suppose.

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    Mute Steve O'Hara-Smith
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    Jul 21st 2021, 10:28 AM

    Regardless of where you put the arbitrary line I would say that you need to achieve orbit to be anything other than an over extended vomit comet flight. This is no more access to space than pole vaulting is access to high places.

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    Mute Life in no motion
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    Jul 21st 2021, 11:55 AM

    Two billionaires comparing the length of their rockets and how far they reach

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    Jul 21st 2021, 11:46 AM

    Just outside Ballyhaunis.

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