Research holds key to Africa’s scientific independence – Dr. Ogutu
A Senior Clinical Trialist of the Kenya Medical Research Institute says even though African countries have long gained political independence, they are yet to move towards scientific independence.
According to Dr Berhards Ogutu, researching into drugs and products, which could be developed and exported outside the continent, would make Africa scientifically independent.
He is therefore calling on African leaders to put more resources into product development since research holds the key to the future of the continent.
He said it takes around $800 million to discover and produce a potential drug and many investors are not willing to sink funds into researching diseases like malaria in Africa.
Dr Ogutu was speaking on the development of malaria vaccines at the launch of the Kenya chapter of the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) in Nairobi.
He said the RTS,S experimental malaria vaccine currently being tested in Ghana, Kenya and five other African countries would leave behind highly developed infrastructure and skilled manpower which should serve as a platform for African scientists to move the continent towards scientific research and independence.
Dr Ogutu said the vaccine under trials is not 100 per cent protective but it will serve as a basis to come out with stronger vaccines, adding that in science there is nothing like failure since failure provides new knowledge to build on.
He said the RTS,S results are expected in a couple of years, which would be a first generation of malaria vaccine, and will have a 50 to 60 per cent protection against malaria.
He explained that this will move the agenda forward and by 2025, a higher second generation vaccine which will offer greater protection is expected.
Dr Ogutu said artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), treated bed nets and other malaria control tools will still have to be used even with the introduction of malaria vaccines.
He urged the media to help scientists by properly packaging information in a manner that will promote health interventions within communities.
Ida Jooste, Country Director of Internews Network, speaking on the use of the media as a health mapping tool, said the media should go beyond just reporting the news and offer analysis and interpretation on information to bring about the needed change in the lives of people.
She said disease trend and factors that impact on its spread and management could be mapped or localized on a map with additional information on community profiles, which could help the media interpret the news on diseases within a given community.
Dr. Elizabeth Juma, Director of the Malaria Division of Kenya’s Health Ministry, said although malaria is shrinking on the map in Kenya, it still kills more people than any other disease in the country.
She said it is therefore dangerous to slacken in control efforts in order to avoid going back to the days when malaria was an epidemic.
Dr Juma said various tools are available through the use of treated bed nets and ACTs to improve treatment.
She said with the introduction of the Affordable Medicine Facility-malaria (AMFm) initiative, spearhead by the Global Fund to provide ACTs at cheaper prices, journalists should provide the community with information to look out for these subsidized drugs.
Isaiah Esipisu, Country Coordinator of the Kenya Chapter of the AMMREN, said the network is the first in the country to bring together journalists and researchers to work on a single disease such as malaria.
He said with the official launch of the network in Kenya, the chapter intends to work on building the capacity of journalists in malaria reporting, mentoring and will also embarking on visiting to malaria research sites to get firsthand information on research activities.
Mrs Charity Binka, Executive Director of AMMREN, who gave a brief history of the network and its objectives, said AMMREN has membership in 10 African countries and seeks to promote communication of malaria research outcomes and best practices through strengthened collaboration between malaria researchers and journalists.
Mr Edward Mwangi, Chief Executive of the Kenya NGO Alliance Against Malaria, urged journalists to avoid putting out misleading information as it could derail progress on health interventions.
By Eunice Menka