MOSCOW, November 19 (Sputnik) — The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a $5.7-million pledge to augment the production and evaluation of convalescent plasma and other products that could potentially cure the Ebola virus.
"The foundation has committed $5.7 million to launch the effort, and specific trial designs and locations will be confirmed in coordination with national health authorities and the World Health Organization," the foundation said in a press release issued on Tuesday.
According to the statement, when combined with pathogen inactivation technology, convalescent plasma could potentially develop effective treatment methods for Ebola-infected patients.
"We are committed to working with Ebola-affected countries to rapidly identify and scale up potential lifesaving treatments for Ebola," Papa Salif Sow, a senior program officer for the foundation's Global Health Program, was quoted as saying in the statement.
"The Gates Foundation is focusing its R&D investments on treatments, diagnostics, and vaccines that we believe could be quickly produced and delivered to those who need them if they demonstrate efficacy in stopping the disease," Sow added.
The current outbreak of the Ebola virus has occurred in Guinea, subsequently spreading to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal. The latter two countries have recently been announced free of the virus.
According to the World Health Organization's latest estimates, more than 5,100 from the over 14,400 confirmed, likely and suspected cases have been lethal.
Earlier in November, the WHO said vaccines against the deadly virus were being extensively tested and may be applied in practice as early as in January 2015.
