Companies make 19 submissions of diagnostic tests for Ebola

Health workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) outside a midwifery school where they are attending a training session on Ebola, in Makeni, Sierra Leone. Photo: UNICEF/John James

Nine companies have made 19 submissions of proposed diagnostic tests for Ebola, according to an official of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Regulators, researchers, clinicians and people from the countries affected by Ebola met in Geneva to discuss quicker diagnostic tests for the disease.
The Ebola outreak has killed over 6,000 people in West Africa mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Dr Francis Moussy, focal point for new Ebola diagnostics at WHO, said the evaluation of these tests is ongoing, a handful of which are similar to rapid pregnancy tests.
“Most of these tests still require laboratory evaluations to validate the claims from the manufacturers about the performance of the test, and so this is being organized now.” (0'12")
Dr Moussy also reported that one of the 19 tests has already been approved for procurement, but it is not one that delivers results as quickly.
Stephanie Coutrix, United Nations.
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