A safety company with offices across Ireland and the UK has been awarded a contract by the UK Department for International Development to supply protective equipment as part of the initiative to help tackle the Ebola crisis in West Africa.

Arco will be supplying around 100,000 protective suits, hoods and gloves each month over the next five months in order to protect the frontline medical teams and support staff.

The firm has also provided expertise on product selection, and advice to the public on the disease itself.

The British government has pledged €158.7m to support the global effort to contain, control and defeat the disease in Sierra Leone.

Thomas Martin, Arco's joint managing director, said: "We've all read about the spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa and seen the devastating effects it is having on families living in the affected areas."

"Arco is proud to be able to play our part in supporting the...initiative to help control the spread of the disease. Through our global supply chain network we've been able to respond immediately", he added.

Arco has Irish offices in Dublin, Cork and Galway.