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CORONAVIRUS: IN DAKAR, THE INSTITUT PASTEUR ORGANIZES THE AFRICAN RESPONSE
Representatives of laboratories from fifteen countries on the continent meet in the Senegalese establishment to improve their diagnostic tools
The World Africa | Marie Lechapelays | Publication 02/05/2020
Senegalese nationals will not "for the moment" be repatriated from the Chinese city of Wuhan, epicenter of the 2019-nCoV coronavirus epidemic . This was announced by President Macky Sall, Monday, February 3, referring to "logistics completely beyond the reach of Senegal ". But if the country seems overwhelmed compared to Mauritania, Morocco or Algeria, which have started to bring back their nationals, the Senegalese capital is in fact the place where the African scientific response is organized.
From Thursday to Saturday, the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) will in fact receive laboratory representatives from fifteen African countries for a continental training workshop. These laboratories were chosen according to their performance level, but also according to a regional logic: three from the Maghreb (Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia), as many from East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda) and Africa central (Cameroon, Gabon, Democratic Republic of the Congo), five from West Africa (Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal) and one from Southern Africa (Zambia).
Recognized for its expertise in virology and in particular in epidemiological viruses, the IPD was commissioned by the African Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC). Based in Addis Ababa, this agency which depends on the African Union supports the countries of the continent in the surveillance of infectious diseases and emergency response.
"We have to adapt"
And there is an emergency, because if no African country is among those infected with the coronavirus, "it is not because no one is infected, but because almost no one can detect it on the continent," says Amadou. Alpha Sall, deputy head of the IPD. In Africa, only two establishments are capable of diagnosing the coronavirus by analyzing samples: the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), in South Africa, and the IPD.
The workshop organized in Dakar should make it possible to train laboratory personnel in the recognition of the 2019-nCoV coronavirus, so that they are able to carry out diagnostics in their establishments. “In each region, there are reference laboratories for the WHO [World Health Organization] . But we have to make sure that they are properly equipped in terms of skills and abilities, ” explains Amadou Alpha Sall. As a test, the centers will receive a series of samples and will need to find out where the virus is currently spreading on the planet.
"The main thing is to improve diagnostic tools , " insists Doctor Ndongo Dia, head of the reference center for influenza and other respiratory viruses at IPD, responsible for organizing the workshop: “We are already working on coronaviruses like MERS [Middle East respiratory syndrome] , it is our daily work . But since 2019-nCoV is new, we have to adapt. "
No vaccine race
The center will not get into the vaccine race. On the other hand, "we will probably collaborate with groups specializing in this work," added the researcher. For the Ebola epidemic, part of the IPD virology team was sent to Guinea, where the WHO office for Africa is located, to help assess the vaccine. developed.
For the IPD, February will be busy. The West African Health Organization (WAHO) is counting on the Dakar establishment to organize similar training for the fifteen countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) by the end of the month. The response must be very quick, because trade between West Africa and China, as well as with countries already affected like France, is very important.
"We expect the virus to arrive on the continent, because experience shows that respiratory infections of this nature spread very quickly," said Dr. Ousmane Faye, head of the virology department . Samples of suspected cases have already been sent to IPD by neighboring countries, but so far none have tested positive for 2019-nCoV coronavirus.
https://www.seneplus.com/sante/coronavirus-dakar-linstitut-pasteur-organise-la-riposte-africaine
CORONAVIRUS: IN DAKAR, THE INSTITUT PASTEUR ORGANIZES THE AFRICAN RESPONSE
Representatives of laboratories from fifteen countries on the continent meet in the Senegalese establishment to improve their diagnostic tools
The World Africa | Marie Lechapelays | Publication 02/05/2020
Senegalese nationals will not "for the moment" be repatriated from the Chinese city of Wuhan, epicenter of the 2019-nCoV coronavirus epidemic . This was announced by President Macky Sall, Monday, February 3, referring to "logistics completely beyond the reach of Senegal ". But if the country seems overwhelmed compared to Mauritania, Morocco or Algeria, which have started to bring back their nationals, the Senegalese capital is in fact the place where the African scientific response is organized.
From Thursday to Saturday, the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) will in fact receive laboratory representatives from fifteen African countries for a continental training workshop. These laboratories were chosen according to their performance level, but also according to a regional logic: three from the Maghreb (Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia), as many from East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda) and Africa central (Cameroon, Gabon, Democratic Republic of the Congo), five from West Africa (Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal) and one from Southern Africa (Zambia).
Recognized for its expertise in virology and in particular in epidemiological viruses, the IPD was commissioned by the African Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC). Based in Addis Ababa, this agency which depends on the African Union supports the countries of the continent in the surveillance of infectious diseases and emergency response.
"We have to adapt"
And there is an emergency, because if no African country is among those infected with the coronavirus, "it is not because no one is infected, but because almost no one can detect it on the continent," says Amadou. Alpha Sall, deputy head of the IPD. In Africa, only two establishments are capable of diagnosing the coronavirus by analyzing samples: the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), in South Africa, and the IPD.
The workshop organized in Dakar should make it possible to train laboratory personnel in the recognition of the 2019-nCoV coronavirus, so that they are able to carry out diagnostics in their establishments. “In each region, there are reference laboratories for the WHO [World Health Organization] . But we have to make sure that they are properly equipped in terms of skills and abilities, ” explains Amadou Alpha Sall. As a test, the centers will receive a series of samples and will need to find out where the virus is currently spreading on the planet.
"The main thing is to improve diagnostic tools , " insists Doctor Ndongo Dia, head of the reference center for influenza and other respiratory viruses at IPD, responsible for organizing the workshop: “We are already working on coronaviruses like MERS [Middle East respiratory syndrome] , it is our daily work . But since 2019-nCoV is new, we have to adapt. "
No vaccine race
The center will not get into the vaccine race. On the other hand, "we will probably collaborate with groups specializing in this work," added the researcher. For the Ebola epidemic, part of the IPD virology team was sent to Guinea, where the WHO office for Africa is located, to help assess the vaccine. developed.
For the IPD, February will be busy. The West African Health Organization (WAHO) is counting on the Dakar establishment to organize similar training for the fifteen countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) by the end of the month. The response must be very quick, because trade between West Africa and China, as well as with countries already affected like France, is very important.
"We expect the virus to arrive on the continent, because experience shows that respiratory infections of this nature spread very quickly," said Dr. Ousmane Faye, head of the virology department . Samples of suspected cases have already been sent to IPD by neighboring countries, but so far none have tested positive for 2019-nCoV coronavirus.
https://www.seneplus.com/sante/coronavirus-dakar-linstitut-pasteur-organise-la-riposte-africaine