Research under way to fight the virus
The lack of accurate rapid tests for Covid-19 has asĀsisted in the spread of the virus from China to the rest of the world. The advent of the panĀdemic in our communities is calling for a rapid response to curb the spread.
This rapid response can be achieved through multidisciĀplinary, inter-institutional and multi-sectoral endeavours, which demand effective colĀlaboration. The University of Limpopo (UL) has joined global research efforts by presenting collaborative ground-breaking research aimed at assisting govĀernments with their strategic reĀsponse to the Covid-19 outbreak.
A UL-led multidisciplinary, inter-institutional and mulĀti-sectoral team has started reĀsearch projects on the impleĀmentation of low-cost blockĀchain and artificial intelligence (AI) coupled self-testing and tracking system and on essenĀtial diagnostics to guide adminĀistration on the Covid-19 drugs.
These two research projects are led by Professor Tivani Mashamba-Thompson, a LimĀpopo-born, NRF-rated mediĀcal scientist (molecular bioloĀgy) who is based in the departĀment of public health, UL. Her team comprises Dr Desmond Kuupiel, a point-of-care (POC) diagnostics supply chain manĀagement expert and intensive care nurse based at the UniverĀsity of KwaZulu-Natal; Dr BuyĀisile Chibi, a public health pharĀmacy expert based at Caprisa; Ms Ellen D Crayton, an inforĀmation technology and blockĀchain expert based at Genesis Technology and Management Group in Maryland, WashingĀton in the US.
New tech to curb virus
In a recent article, MashamĀba-Thompson and Clayton reĀported a growing concern about the failure to find and report Covid-19 cases, especially givĀen weak health systems, inadeĀquate surveillance, insufficient laboratory capacity and limited public health infrastructure in African countries. They called for improved access to accuĀrate diagnosis, monitoring and reporting of health outbreaks. The researchers also proposed the use of innovations such as blockchain and AI that can be coupled with POC diagnostics to enable self-testing of patients in isolation as a result of exposure to Covid-19.
Local solution
South Africa has observed how different communities reĀacted to the lockdown strategy, which has been shown as efĀfective in Europe and Asia. We welcomed international pharĀmaceutical companiesā efforts to develop drug products for prevention and radical cure of Covid-19. Some of these prodĀucts have shown to be effective Ā in predominately Asian and EuĀropean populations.
The differences in the genetic make-up of people of different races may result in a different response to drug products. This calls for local research efforts on new drugs and vaccines before their distribution to the wider population.
The UL-led research team is leading research focused on preĀventing drug, diversion, abuse and misuse. The projects will be aimed at drugs that have been recommended for radical cure of Covid-19 among Africans. Its research efforts will be aimed at essential POC diagnostics to help guide clinics when making decisions to administer different group drugs for the radical cure of Covid-19.
The UL teamās research efĀforts call for African universiĀties to create multidisciplinary research platforms for interdisĀciplinary, preclinical research, disease-targeted research aimed at improving population health outcomes.
This type of research also calls for an end in research siĀlos, which are keeping Africa behind in terms of health-care innovations. Most health innoĀvations that are in use in AfriĀca are developed by researchers in advanced high-income counĀtries and deployed to us at a cost.
African researchers are well-positioned to develop efĀfective strategies to respond to local disease outbreaks. This will require a collaboration of expertise and to ensure local inĀnovations are developed locally to reduce the costs.