The Ebola epidemic in West Africa deeply impacted public opinion at an international level. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) received massive financial support from thousands of donors all over the world. In 2014 alone, 70 million euros (approximately $93 million) were received through private donations, and 15 million (approximately $20 million) through public funds. These contributions allowed MSF to implement one of the biggest emergency responses ever carried out by the organization, and to adapt its response to the needs of a continuously changing context.
By the end of 2014, MSF had spent 60 million euros (approximately $80 million) on the Ebola response, almost all of it dedicated to operations in the three worst-affected countries, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. A small portion of the donations received were used to contain the virus in Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal.
MSF estimates that another 48 million euros (approximately $64 million) will be spent in 2015. These funds will be used to support the continuing fight against Ebola and address the need to reconstruct the health systems of the three worst-affected countries. In view of the magnitude of the emergency, in September 2014 the MSF movement set up a coordination mechanism to match funds collected worldwide with operational needs.