Business Daily (Nairobi)
Ismail Serageldin And Calestous Juma
14 November 2007
(Page 2 of 2)
The university works on a research project on DNA sequencing of vaccines for the prevention of the infectious Bursal disease (also known as Gumboro disease), a major source of poultry deaths worldwide. There is no known cure for the disease.
Biotechnology in healthcare offers more effective disease diagnosis, prevention and treatment. In the coming years, it is going to change how we understand and treat diseases.
And, as in agriculture, the health biotech sector also offers much potential for boosting Africa's economies. Health biotechnologies allow scientists to identify genes linked to particular diseases. In addition, new technologies allow researchers to develop genetic tests for a range of illnesses.
Several African countries now have programmes dedicated to healthcare biotechnology R&D. These include Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda.
For example, the application of molecular markers for mapping disease resistance in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is being carried out at the Tanzania's Ifakara Health Research and Development Centre.
Another activity that has Africa-wide implications is the search for natural products, often used in traditional medicines, but which could have potential uses in modern pharmaceutical research.
A good example is that of NICOSAN, a herbal medicine commonly used in Africa. Nigeria's National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development in Abuja has discovered that it is also effective in treating sickle-cell disorder.
Applications of indigenous knowledge in health biotechnology research and development include isolating and patenting active ingredients from a plant Hoodia gordonii, which has hunger-suppressing properties. This plant has been traditionally used by the San people who live in a semi-desert part of Botswana, to suppress hunger and thirst during long bouts of hunting.
In addition, under the Southern African Biosciences Network (SANBio) the CSIR of South Africa and other collaborations in Southern Africa are engaged in a project to scientifically-validate traditional medicines for their potential to treat infections suffered by people living with HIV/Aids. Kenya has developed an inexpensive but effective diagnostic testing kit for Hepatitis B called Hepcell.
Now in use in all district and provincial hospitals, Hepcell is an indigenous effort led by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Egypt also has an active healthcare biotechnology industry. Products have been developed that can treat such conditions as cardiovascular, cancer, anaemia and diabetes.
Africa is claiming its place in the world of biotechnology. The lessons contained in Freedom to Innovate will help policy makers strengthen these efforts, forge greater international partnerships and establish Africa as an emerging player in the biotechnology revolution.
Dr Serageldin is director of the Library of Alexandria and member of the Senate of Egypt, and Prof Juma teaches at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. They co-chair the High-Level African Panel on Biotechnology of the AU and NEPAD.
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