Health workers take blood samples for Ebola virus testing at a screening tent in the local government hospital in Kenema
Health workers take blood samples for Ebola virus testing at a screening tent in the local government hospital in Kenema, Sierra Leone, June 30, 2014. Reuters

Australian Health Minister Peter Dutton has revealed he is in talks with the Gates Foundation to possibly develop a breakthrough treatment for Ebola. According to news.com.au, the potential treatment using antibodies extracted from Ebola survivors may be funded by the Australian government. Dutton said he was also considering how virologists in Australia can contribute to the possible vaccine.

Australia has been criticised for not sending medical teams to West Africa. The announcement of more financial support and possible funding for the development of a vaccine came after a recent Morgan poll has found that 70 percent of Australians want doctors and nurses to be deployed in the Ebola-infected region. The results showed it was important for the people of Australia to help the less fortunate, reports said.

According to news.com.au, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation revealed on Oct. 30 that about 350 out of 1,300 nurses surveyed were willing to go to West Africa to volunteer their services to fight Ebola. ANMF Federal Secretary Lee Thomas said the response to the survey was overwhelming as member nurses continue to be concerned by the Australian government's decision to not send medical teams even if West Africa needs more.

Previous reports indicated that Australia will not send healthcare workers because allies in the U.S. and UK cannot guarantee the evacuation and treatment of Australian medical teams in case they contract the virus. Dutton has said in the news.com. au report that health workers who have Ebola symptoms may not survive the 30-hour flight back home.

The health minister also noted that there are other parties working on the Ebola vaccine that Australia could support financially. Reports said around 335 volunteers have signed up for Ebola vaccine trials in the U.S., Germany, Switzerland and Kenya.

Meanwhile, a third potential Ebola vaccine may be tested on health workers in West Africa in December following news of more funding to accelerate development. According to The Guardian, the vaccine developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada known as rVSV-EBOV has been tested only in monkeys, but it showed promise as researchers hope it could be proven effective against the virus.