The World's 50 Greatest Leaders

Rank
14
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Amadou Sall

WGL.14.Amadou-Sall
Dr Amadou Alpha Sall, general administrator of the Pasteur Institute, poses for a portrait at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar on February 3, 2020. - The Pasteur Institute in Dakar, designated by the African Union as one of the two reference centres in Africa for the detection of the new coronavirus that appeared in China, is hosting experts from 15 countries on the continent this weekend to prepare them to deal with the disease. (Photo by Seyllou / AFP) (Photo by SEYLLOU/AFP via Getty Images)SEYLLOU—AFP/Getty Images
  • Title
    Director
  • Affiliation
    Institut ­Pasteur, Senegal

Testing resources for COVID-19 have been particularly scarce in Africa, where a couple of months ago the continent had just two labs—one of which is Sall’s institute—that could do the job. The virologist has been focused on spreading that capacity and creating a more practical way to test. Working with U.K.-based diagnostic company Mologic, Sall’s team is developing a point-of-care device that will offer results in 10 minutes. Tests will cost less than $1 and be manufactured in Senegal.