Roche is supplying laboratory equipment for Ebola testing in the Congo
Keystone-SDA
Roche is supporting efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by providing laboratory equipment.
The Basel-based pharmaceutical company is supplying the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) with two molecular testing devices, Roche said on Wednesday.
More
More
Ebola vaccine: ‘In an outbreak situation we’re racing against time’
Once the equipment has been prepared and local laboratory staff have been trained, the devices will be deployed in Bunia. Roche’s PCR test for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola will also be trialled there. The test can detect the virus’s genetic material in samples. It is currently intended for research use only and has not yet been approved for diagnostic use.
Following successful testing, Roche plans to supply additional tests and provide further equipment if needed. The aim is to help expand the country’s limited testing capacity.
More
More
Inside Geneva Summer profile: tackling Ebola in DRC
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ebola outbreak that began in May is the largest ever recorded in the DRC. By the end of September, nearly 8,000 cases and about 3,800 deaths had been confirmed and 63 health zones across seven provinces had been affected, with Ituri among the hardest-hit areas. The WHO has classified the risk level in the DRC as very high.
+ How we produce news in English
Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
