By Lexi Elo with Agency Report
African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation, ANDI, is set to launch five new pilot projects targeting the most devastating bacterial and viral epidemics in the continent including the killer Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) which has claimed the lives of 4500 people so far.
The network announced that it is kicking-off five pilot projects that will be implemented full-fledged in the coming five years recently at Addis Ababa. The consultation meeting that brought together experts, scientists and entrepreneurs from Africa and the international community was organized in partnership with UNICEF and the World Bank.
Solomon Nawaka (MD), director-general of ANDI and a leading global health expert, revealed that the gathering would deliver some five pilot projects that will have greater effects on Ebola and other health crisis facing the continent.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
Besides Ebola, the pilot projects would focus on Pneumonia, Diarrhoeal diseases, HIV, TB, Malaria, Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD), Maternal and Child Health, as major health problems of the continent.
African scientists also highlighted their researches being developed at the various centers inside and outside the universities. As far as Ebola is concerned, the Makerere University will take the lead in the development of vaccine and treatment.
Prof Misaki Wayengra, a leading health researcher from the university, indicated that Ebola vaccination is being developed at the University. He maintained that it was too comment on the progress of work done as regards the Ebola vaccine development.
To help with this effort, ANDI has managed to forge a North-South collaboration against the disease, linking western institution with African research centers to work on range of potential drugs, diagnostics and vaccine agents for EVD.
“Science on the Sequencing of the Ebola genome”, a recent publication on the Ebola epidemic that demonstrates the power of such collaborations as it involved authors from the United States, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and the United Kingdom. “Expertise does exist in Africa in various fields relevant to EVD, but institutions need to be empowered and strengthened,” Solomon said.
ANDI, a pan-African agency that facilitates the discovery, development and manufacturing and delivery of quality, easy to use and affordable medical technologies in Africa, also emphasises on traditional medicine. It is currently working with traditional healers around the continent.
“We recognise traditional medicine is very important for this continent, but regulation and quality assurance along with intellectual patent right framework need to be addressed,” Solomon added.
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