Kenyan scientists
have scooped 20 of the 100 scholarships to attend the prestigious annual global
UNESCO-Merck Africa Research Summit (MARS) in Switzerland.
The researchers drawn
from African Population Health Research Center, University
of Nairobi, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Jommo Kenyatta University of Arts
and Technology, Baringo County Referral Hospital among others will get opportunity
to attend the summit sponsored by Merck, UNESCO, Cambridge University and
University of Rome.
Merck, the world’s
oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company in partnership with UNESCO,
Cambridge University and University of Rome plan to conduct the UNESCO-Merck
Africa Research Summit (MARS), to map out ways of turning Africa into an
international hub for research excellence and scientific innovation.
Rasha Kelej, Vice
President and Head of Global Business Social Responsibility and Market Development,
Merck said the annual summit aims to contribute to building
research capacity in the African research community, with special focus on
Ebola and emergent infectious diseases.
“It also aims to Identify Scientific Research Priorities for Evolving
Health Needs, and identify opportunities to capitalise on HIV Research
Capacities for Emerging Infectious Diseases in Africa such as Ebola,” said
Kelej.
The Merck Africa Research Summit dubbed Accelerating Access and
Sustaining Innovation brings together researchers from across Africa to discuss
the generation, sharing and dissemination of research data with the aim of
identifying development opportunities that will accelerate access to innovative
health solutions and sustain innovation in Africa.
The Summit slated to take place next month in Switzerland, will showcase innovative research taking place in projects, programs
and initiatives across African universities, and by the wider African research
community in a bid to empower young African researchers.
Top on the agenda is discussions on the role of research in fostering
sustainable development of the health of the population with specific emphasis
on how to translate knowledge into action - the 'know-do gap' - to improve
health and make an impact on society.
This summit will provide a networking platform for dialogue on improving
global cooperation on health research and narrowing the disparities in health
systems performance between developing and developed countries.
Kelej said the MARS seeks to create an African researchers’ network
where scientists will exchange experiences, share knowledge, best practice
(especially in Ebola management) and cooperation in future research and
development projects.
One of the winners from Kenya Patrick Mwaura a student of Jommo Kenyatta
University of Arts and Technology described the scholarship as an important
opportunity for him as a budding scientist to network and enrich his knowledge.
“There are scientists who I have just heard about or read their work but
through this forum I plan to engage them in discussions that will help me strategies
on how to hone my skills in research and development,” said Mwaura.
Of his abstract that won him a place at the MARS, Mwaura said he has
interest in stem cell research and during this summit he hopes to meet other
scientists interested in the area which he sees as an important area in
medicine.
Mwaura submitted an abstract titled "Exploratory Generation of Murine Mesenchymal Stem Cells, And
Investigation of their Anti-Inflammatory Potential".
Another scientist who got a scholarship is Dr Djesika Amendah, a
researcher with African Population Health Research Center. Her abstract is
entitled “Building Research Capacity in Health Systems in Africa. Experience
from African Doctoral Recitation Research Fellowship.”
Amendah described infectious diseases as a continuing burden in Kenya
and Africa and hence important for researchers to interact and build on each
other’s strengths to tackle existing challenges.
She identified Health Systems Strengthening as an integral part in
dealing with emerging and infectious diseases given that countries will not
realise that there is an epidemic until they start losing many lives.
“Look at a country like Guinea, Ebola had presented six months earlier
but because the health systems were weak they did not know until the epidemic
was spreading with very many deaths reported” explained Amendah.
From the MARS Amendah hopes to better understand the trends in
pharmaceutical companies with the aim of improving her research work for
improved livelihoods.
On his part, Paul Yonga, the Deputy Head Internal Medicine at Baringo
County Referral Hospital said he was eager to brainstorm with more established
researchers in order for him to see how he can proactively play a bigger part
in tackling infectious diseases in the country.
“I want to learn what people are doing in terms of research into diseases
like Ebola and how I can advance my skills,” said Yonga. He pointed out that the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa was a clear
demonstration that most countries have weak disease surveillance systems and
hence important to improve them.
Yonga said he was privileged to attend the MARS and plans to use this
event to push his research abstract titled High mortality Rate and late
presentation of HIV/HBV co-infected patients with hepatic de-compensation in a
rural Kenyan Hospital.
In 2015, the
inaugural Summit will have a special focus on HIV and Ebola, highlighting how
experiences gained from investigating the former could inform and drive the
rapid understanding of the latter in the recent Ebola crisis in West Africa.
Diverse sets of
speakers from Academia, Research institutes, major funding organizations of
health/medical research, Chairs of Medical Research Councils, NGOs, Industry,
established and emergent researchers, policy makers, ministries of health and
editors of scientific / medical journals, etc., will be participating.
Up to 100 scientists
from Africa received full sponsorship to attend the Summit and benefit from the
scientific program and development opportunities geared towards accelerating
access to innovative health solutions and sustain innovation in Africa.
Abstracts were
invited from final year African PhD students and young investigators involved
in HIV, Ebola and other infectious diseases research. All abstracts were
required to be primarily based at African research institutes and Universities,
although collaboration within Africa as well as outside was encouraged.
All abstracts were peer
reviewed and certified if eligible for sponsorship with the first three winners
being eligible for further number of research awards and fellowship in Merck
Research & Development hub.
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