Humanitarian experts and specialists from the European Mobile Lab project that were deployed in the weeks following the March 2013 news of a confirmed Ebola case in West Africa. Photo: EMLab

[Via Satellite 12-23-2014] SES has joined forces with B-LiFE, a collective organization of public, private and academic specialists to support a mobile medical laboratory in West Africa. The B-LiFE laboratory left from Belgium on Dec. 20 with the Belgian emergency team B-FAST, and is headed for N’zerekore, Guinea. Following arrival, the team will support an Ebola treatment center in N’zerekore that the French Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) ALIMA has established.

The B-LiFE/B-FAST team will assist in rapid diagnosis of Ebola though DNA-based analysis. Members will use strict hygiene measures and protective equipment to prevent contamination. B-LiFE will also contribute to the development of new treatments for Ebola through clinical tests on the effects of new therapeutic drugs tested by the ALIMA center.

SES is providing connectivity though an emergency.lu rapid deployment kit. The laboratory will have real-time communications by satellite. In addition to supporting B-LiFE and emergency.lu, SES supports the international telemedicine and e-health platform SATMED, and broadcasts the humanitarian TV channel Fight Ebola.