Malaysia to donate 20 mn gloves for Ebola affected

The Malaysia government has announced that it has plans to donate over 20 million protective rubber gloves to the five African countries affected by Ebola outbreak.

They will be distributed among medical workers in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, BBC reported.

A shortage of protective equipment has been one of the factors in the virus spreading. Health workers in Liberia recently went on strike, demanding more protective equipment.

Malaysia, a leading rubber glove manufacturer producing 60 percent of the world's supply, will send 11 containers overall, each holding 1.9 million gloves, a statement from Kuala Lumpur said.

"Malaysia can make a unique and vital contribution to the fight against Ebola because we are one of the biggest manufacturers of rubber gloves," Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said in a statement. "We hope this contribution will prevent the spread of Ebola and save lives."

In a case of world's worst outbreak, Ebola virus has killed over 2,400 people, including many health workers, this year.