The African Development Bank's (AfDB) extremely rapid intervention in Mali after a first case of Ebola was detected has halted the spread of the epidemic in the country.

"The AfDB support, both in the preparation and the response phases, was exceptional in its speed and the level of resources mobilized," said Ibrahima Fall Socé, head of the UN Mission for emergency action against Ebola in Mali.

This support has covered critical activities such as capacity building, and the recruitment and deployment of 20 field epidemiologists. It has also strengthened logistics (including the purchase of vehicles) at the central level in Mali, and in the priority regions.

"This support will also significantly contribute to the functioning of the Emergency Operations Center," added Fall, who is also the Resident Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Mali.

"The AfDB is proud of its prompt contribution to the efforts which helped contain the spread of disease. Thanks to this collective and timely response, Mali is expected to be declared Ebola-free by mid-January 2015", said Helene N'Garnim-Ganga, AfDB Resident Representative in Mali.

Mali benefitted from a USD 3 million grant within a wider USD 60 Million AfDB grant to help strengthen West Africa's public health systems in response to the Ebola crisis. This programme, managed by the World Health Organisation, is open to all West African countries, with flexible country allocations calculated according to the WHO's Roadmap and assessments of the relative severity of the epidemic in each country.

The AfDB also extended loans and grants worth USD 150 million to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire in October 2014, as well a number of emergency grants which also included Nigeria and DRC. The total of AfDB's support to fight Ebola in West Africa amounts USD 223 million.