The European Commission has cleared financing for an ongoing campaign to combat cholera in Cape Verde. A grant of 120,000 ECU is being made available via the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) to enable medical aid teams on the spot to continue programmes they started this summer.

The islands of Santiago and Santa Antao are particularly badly affected. Teams from Médecins sans Frontières (France) and Associaço para a Cooperaço, Intercâmbio e Cultura (Portugal) will carry out programmes comprising treatment, preventive care and an information campaign as well as water and sanitation measures.

These projects will last three months, and follow up an emergency programme launched when the epidemic peaked in August. This grant will bring funding for this crisis to a total of 320,000 ECU.