In a show of support, Hollande visits Guinea amid Ebola outbreak
November 28, 2014
French President Francois Hollande on Friday became the first Western leader to visit the Ebola-stricken country since the outbreak of the epidemic in February.
Guinea's President Alpha Conde welcomed the French leader at the airport. Hollande's is the first visit to the former French colony by a French president since 1999 and the visit aims to send "a message of solidarity" in the battle against the deadly virus.
"We have a duty to support you," Hollande told his hosts, adding that "we are together with you in the struggle."
France has pledged 100 million euros ($124 million) to fight Ebola, focusing its efforts on Guinea.
New 15-minute test
As Hollande arrived, British scientists announced trials on a 15-minute test for the Ebola virus, which is six times faster than existing tests.
"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," said Val Snewin of the charity Wellcome Trust.
The test, Snewin added, had been developed to be suited to remote locations, where electricity is sometimes scarce.
Guinea is one of the three hardest-hit countries in the Ebola epidemic, having lost 1,200 people to the disease. Nearly 6,000 people have died in total since February of Ebola - mainly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, according to the World Health Organization.
sb/jr (AP, AFP)