As we mentioned in January, the runway in Macenta, closed for over 20 years, was forced to reopen.
Situated in the Guinea Forest Region, in the south of the country, the town of Macenta was isolated and only accessible via two hours by road from the closest airport.
Air access to this zone, one of the first sites of the Ebola epidemic, was essential for our partner, the French Red Cross, who were to run an Ebola treatment centre in the town.
A massive effort to clear the scrub and level the ground was called for, and after a few ups and downs our Caravan aircraft was able to land.
Photo taken on the ground in Macenta after the reconnaissance flight
Didier Maze, representing the French Embassy in Conakry Ebola task force, Colonel Henri-Pierre Boutin, Medical Detachment Commander from the Ebola Treatment Centre for Caregivers (Conraky’s principal air base), Tuan Tran-Minh, adviser to the president of the French Red Cross in charge of international operations, and our two pilots: on the left, Xavier Girault and on the right, Bastien Kalkbrenner
The Ebola virus continues to plague Guinea, where the current toll amounts to 3548 cases of Ebola and 2346 deaths.
Translation into English by Chloe Anderson within the initiative PerMondo that is coordinated by the translation agency Mondo Agit