USAID Launches Ebola Innovation Competition

SEYLLOU/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) launched a challenge on Tuesday asking for innovators to come up with solutions in protective gear and frontline tools for the battle against Ebola.

The challenge will focus on, “pioneering solutions to improve personal protective equipment and tools used by healthcare workers battling Ebola,” USAID said in a statement. The challenge was mentioned by President Obama on Sept. 26.

PPE includes masks, gloves, boots and other protective gear used by healthcare workers in Ebola-affected countries. While PPE is integral to workers’ protection, it, “is also the greatest source of physical discomfort and stress for the workers,” USAID says.

USAID hopes to create, “an open innovation platform to crowd source and incubate innovative ideas,” create a challenge to fund and test innovations for protection, treatment and control of infections, and partnerships for rapid testing and deployment of the best solutions.

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