Kenyan scientists working hard to get Covid-19 cure

While most of us are at home, Kenyan scientists are busy searching for the Covid-19 vaccine or even its cure.

Kenyan researchers at the Infectious Disease Unit at Kenyatta National Hospital have joined their international counterparts in finding a cure for the deadly virus, and have plans for clinical trials for three different drugs.

A clinical trial is carried out when the medicine is ready to be tested on humans, to see if it will be effective in treating a given disease.

The principal figure in the research is Dr Loice Achieng Ombajo, a leading scientist. Dr Ombajo explained that while there is no cure for the virus, patients are being offered assistance to treat the symptoms. According to Dr Ombajo, the Ethics Committee at the University of Nairobi has approved of her team’s clinical trial submission.

They now need approval from the Poisons and Pharmacies Board and the National Council of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Once they get the green light, which will hopefully be within a few weeks, they will begin random tests on the drugs on coronavirus positive people.

The patients will be monitored before the doctors can have more information about the best drugs for the virus.

It comes as no surprise that Kenyan researchers have joined international scientists at top universities around the globe in the search for Covid-19 vaccine and cure.

The promotion of science innovation has been the government’s top priority. The Young Scientists Programme supports innovation and encourages young scientists to come up with their own inventions.  

Kenya hosted the recent Global Gathering 2020 in March. This was the largest gathering for science and innovation in Africa.

Turning Kenya into the home of scientific research in Africa goes hand in hand with our development goals.

Covid-19 might slow down our ability to become a middle income country by 2030, but it will not stop us entirely.

It is important that African researchers are working towards finding our own cures for Covid-19.

Some vaccines for other infectious diseases have been known to be more effective in Europe and North America because they were tested exclusively on those populations.

The team at KNH is working towards making a cure that works for us. They are making big sacrifices for all Kenyans.

The same goes for all people offering essential services.  

Many Kenyans are focusing on how to put food on the table. But the most important thing to do now is to safeguard lives.

If the virus is allowed to spread unhindered, it will kill tens of thousands. The US, with the world’s most advanced health system and economy, has lost over 80,000 lives and in a few months.

As soon as the first Covid-19 positive case was found, the government acted swiftly to stop the spread of the deadly virus.

Had we not entered lockdown immediately, many lives could have been lost by now. There is need to support our researchers to find a cure.  

We must wear face masks in public and obey all regulations put in place by the Ministry of Health. There are many challenges yet to overcome but we have already come very far. It is only a matter of time before scientific breakthroughs facilitate things going back to normal.