The Sentinels

May 1, 2007

[Video in French]

Epidemics of bacterial meningitis are frequent in West Africa, particularly in Burkina Faso. Providing effective case management and preventive vaccination depends on the prompt diagnosis of the epidemic.

In support of epidemiological surveillance of meningitis—and other epidemic diseases including cholera—AMP develops and dispatches mobile microbiology laboratories. These all-terrain vehicles, called LaboMobil©, come equipped with a laminar flow hood, incubator, centrifuge, refrigerator, fluorescent microscope, and other laboratory equipment. Due to their mobility, they allow rapid and reliable identification of the etiology of epidemics.

“The Sentinels” accompanies one of AMP’s mobile laboratories as it engages in an urgent mission to investigate a meningitis outbreak in Kombissiri, Sapone and several other districts of Burkina Faso.