THE Government of Jamaica has signed an agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to allocate US$250,000 of grant resources to improve national surveillance, prevention and control of infectious diseases like Ebola and Chikungunya.

The grant will “strengthen the public health capacity within the Ministry of Health, to prevent and control the spread of infectious diseases, with principal focus on ChikV (Chikungunya Virus) and EVD (Ebola Virus Disease),” Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips said.

The Ministry of Health will execute the grant, which will also facilitate the continuation of the programme already underway and support the establishment of emergency response centres as well as to provide needed support to the development and implementation of a communication strategy and public education programme on these viral diseases.

Hundreds of thousands of Jamaicans have been affected by the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus since the first outbreak was detected in the Eastern part of the island last year.

Meanwhile, Jamaica is among several Caribbean countries that recently banned entry to travellers from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea due to the Ebola outbreak, which has killed thousands in the West African countries.