Twenty-four New Zealand health professionals will go to West Africa to join the fight against Ebola, Health Minister Jonathan Coleman has announced.
Medical workers in Amsterdam undergo training to treat Ebola. Photo: AFP / ANP
More than 5000 people have died from Ebola, and it is estimated more than 14,000 have been infected.
Dr Coleman said the contribution would cost $2 million and would ensure that highly skilled health professionals were able to join the fight against Ebola.
He said all the personnel would be self-nominating and their deployments would last six to 12 weeks.
"Ebola is having a devastating impact in parts of West Africa. More than 5000 people have died from the disease and it is estimated that more than 14,000 people have become infected," Dr Coleman said.
"If the developed world fails to act, case numbers will exponentially increase, with devastating consequences for long-term stability in Africa.
The New Zealand contingent would join the Australian-flagged mission in Sierra Leone.
Prime Minister John Key said the deployment would ensure highly skilled health professionals were able to join the fight against Ebola.
"The Government takes its responsibilities for these volunteers very seriously, and ensuring their safety is our paramount concern," he said.
The Government would also provide $1 million to the World Health Organisation's Pacific region response plan to help Pacific countries prepare for an Ebola outbreak, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said.
"The risk of Ebola reaching the Pacific is very low, but the consequences if it did could be devastating," he said.
New Zealand's total funding for the international response to Ebola stands at $5 million.
