Could Covid-19 be an opportunity for African scientists to save the world?
Travel restrictions. Border closures. Stay-at-home directives.
The Covid-19 pandemic has grounded businesses and caused people to stay put. World-over, countries are still grappling to flatten the curve and reduce the number of fatalities. Unfortunately, neither cure, nor vaccine for Covid-19 have been discovered yet.
On the upside, this grounding has caused African governments to look inward for solutions. This is a significant move for a continent that, for decades, has looked to developed countries for scientific, humanitarian, diplomatic and financial interventions.
Until now, African governments have made minimal investments in research and development, due to competing priorities, such as national security, infrastructural development, or alleviating hunger and extreme poverty. In an unprecedented turn of events, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the fore the importance of having a strong research and development system. With borders crossed, and traditional donor countries focused with their own needs, African scientists are being relied on to develop tests, vaccines and treatments for the coronavirus.
In Kenya for instance, a research team from the University of Nairobi recently finalized guidelines for coronavirus case management, as well as a research protocol, as requested by the Ministry of Health. These protocols will guide the Ministry of Health on how to conduct research for Covid-19 and consequent viruses as well.
Health experts advise that one of the best ways to limit the severity of the infection is by boosting one’s immunity by eating a well-balanced diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals. Picking up from that cue, Madagascar recently revealed its home-grown herbal remedy dubbed “Covid-Organics”. The “herbal tea” is believed to be both preventive and curative against the coronavirus. However, the safety and efficacy of the beverage has not been ratified by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Marred by a string of challenges such as inadequate funding, under-equipped laboratories, and lack of chemical reagents for their tests, scientists in Africa are working against all odds to provide a solution to the pandemic. Another imminent challenge for the researchers is that conducting clinical trials for proposed Covid-19 vaccines and/or treatments given the WHO guidelines will be a lengthy but inevitable process. Hindrances notwithstanding, Africa has to get the solution from within.
It would be exciting to have Africa break the glass ceiling to become the pioneer in coming up with the elixir to Covid-19.
Written by Amanda Namayi
This article is part of Covid-19 Food/Future, an initiative under TMG ThinkTank for Sustainability’s SEWOH Lab project (https://www.tmg-thinktank.com/sewoh-lab). It aims at providing a unique and direct insight into the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on national and local food systems. Also follow @CovidFoodFuture, our Video Diaries From Nairobi, and @TMG_think on Twitter. Funding for this initiative is provided by BMZ, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
