CANBERRA, June 4 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government on Thursday committed funding to support the global response to the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa and prevent the spread of the disease.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and Minister for International Development Anne Aly said in a joint statement that Australia will provide 5 million Australian dollars (around 3.6 million U.S. dollars) to the initiative.

"Australia's funding, directed through the International Federation of the Red Cross and the World Health Organization (WHO), will provide vital medical care and supplies, water and sanitation services, support outbreak surveillance and preparedness, and strengthen local health systems," the statement read.

There have been 344 confirmed cases of the disease and 60 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as 15 cases and one death in Uganda in the ongoing outbreak, according to the WHO. ■