British scientists announced trials on a 15-minute Ebola test in Guinea, while French President Francois Hollande became the first Western leader to visit a country devastated by the epidemic.
The prototype is six times faster than current tests and aims to speed up diagnosis, the London-based global research charity Wellcome Trust and Britain’s Department for International Development said in a statement.
“A reliable, 15-minute test that can confirm cases of Ebola would be a key tool for effective management of the Ebola outbreak, allowing patients to be identified, isolated and cared for as soon as possible,” Wellcome Trust spokesperson Val Snewin said.
Photo: Reuters
She said the test was designed to be suitable for remote field hospitals, where electricity and cold storage are often scarce.
The trials, to be led by researchers from Dakar’s Pasteur Institute at an Ebola treatment center in Conakry in the coming weeks, will come as a welcome boon in Guinea, which has lost 1,200 people to Ebola.
The biggest Ebola epidemic on record has claimed about 5,700 lives in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since the beginning of the year, according to the WHO.
Hollande pledged his support for Guinea after arriving in the former French colony on Friday.
He said he was bringing with him a message of solidarity to healthcare workers who “take risks to ensure the highest quality care,” and a message of confidence, because “it was very important to tell the world that Guinea is still alive, still fighting.”
He also wanted to call for vigilance, he said, because “the battle against Ebola isn’t won.”
The visit is the first by a French president since 1999, and comes after France pledged 100 million euros (US$125 million) toward the fight against the epidemic in Guinea.
The money will help finance several care centers as well as 200 beds, some of which are reserved for health workers caring for the sick. France has also pledged to set up two training centers for health workers, one in France and one in Guinea.
Hollande visited healthcare workers at Conakry’s Donka Hospital, which hosts the city’s Doctors Without Borders Ebola treatment unit, alongside Guinean President Alpha Conde.
Before entering, both men followed the protocol of washing their hands and having their temperatures taken.
The French leader is also due to sign a cooperation agreement with Guinean authorities for the creation of a Pasteur Institute in Conakry by the end of 2016, the global medical research organization said on Thursday.
“For the people of Guinea, the arrival of President Hollande is a very, very important sign,” Conde said. “If the president of a country as important as France can come to Guinea, that means anyone can come to Guinea.”
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