US Turns To Web Crowdsourcing To Fight Ebola

The United States has issued an urgent plea for internet crowdsourcing to fight the deadly Ebola outbreak, Sky News has learned.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) wants radically new anti-contamination suit designs, to stop health workers and airport screeners suffering from heat stress.

USAID said it wants "crowdsourcing, competition and breakthrough innovation" to fight the West African epidemic and any "future outbreaks".

Each successful design accepted by the agency is capable of being awarded $1m (£622,000), ahead of any production run.

It intends to partner novel suit designs with companies capable of producing the new kit within two months.

Several days ago USAID announced a desire for innovative ideas to overcome tropical heat stress and contagion risks when de-suiting, but it did not offer detailed requirements.

It has now issued further clarification, saying it wants "entirely novel" personal protection equipment (PPE).

It also wants new suit designs for people working at airports, security checkpoints and for burials.

Ideas suggested to overcome heat stress are portable cooling devices, next-generation stress detectors, along with thinner suits with increased vapour permeability or breathability.

USAID also suggested full-face cooling shields and reusable suits.

Earlier this week, Sky News Special Correspondent Alex Crawford reported on the difficulties of wearing existing, disposable PPE in affected areas.

Many of the PPE suits can only be worn briefly before being thrown away, heightening the risk of accidental contamination.

USAID also revealed it wants to launch psychological operations into affected regions in Africa.

It wants companies to develop "behaviour change approaches to encourage - and dispel myths and misconceptions that discourage - care-seeking or interacting with health care authorities".

The agency said part of this will involve improved dissemination of information about care offered to citizens, and availability of beds in community care and emergency treatment zones.