Warning cough for universities - Daily Nation

The world is reeling from the threat of yet another pandemic, Covid-19, which has drastically altered the higher education landscape, leading to the switching to e-learning, e-examination and e-graduation.

Covid-19 presents new insights and challenges for higher education in Kenya. Consequently, universities are confronted with unprecedented challenges as they struggle to navigate the crisis. But are public universities prepared to deal with threats of a pandemic or, worse still, those of a bioweapon nature?

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected educational systems worldwide, leading to widespread closures of schools, universities and colleges. The coronavirus crisis has had far-reaching repercussions beyond the spread of the disease. The school closures present new challenges on social and economic issues ­– including student fees arrears, digital learning, food insecurity, as well as access to healthcare, housing and the internet.

New admissions for First Year students will wait until the virus has been contained. This is going to affect both their lives and the economic interests of universities.

You probably have come across a provocative conspiracy theory that the new coronavirus was created in a research laboratory and that it was accidentally released to the environment. This theory has been used to create a perception that the coronavirus is a bioweapon.

If, indeed, the coronavirus was to be a bioweapon, its spread has clearly indicated that universities are ill-prepared for such a threat.

University labs store and handle a variety of pathogens, chemicals and toxins. They also have a diverse society with persons from many nationalities, ethnic settings with different political persuasions, religions and creeds.
Such a mosaic architecture of people has the potential of hosting persons with corrupt morals, radicalised individuals masquerading as researchers, students or visitors but with intention to cause harm to other people.

Bioterrorism covers a wide spectrum of concerns – from catastrophic terrorism, with mass casualties, to micro events based on low technologies but with potential for civil unrest, disruption, disease, disabilities and death.

BIOSAFETY
Despite the threat of bioterrorism having been ignored and denied for a long time, it is, nonetheless, real. Overall, there is a growing concern over the need to detect, diagnose, characterise and respond appropriately to bioweapons and the threat thereof in an academic setting.

As a post-Covid-19 plan to reopen universities, there is a need to create awareness on matters of biosecurity, biosafety and bioterrorism by establishing the necessary institutional infrastructure to mitigate such potential threats. The provisions of the National Biosafety Authority on the use of human and animal pathogens and toxins, health and safety should be enhanced and complied with without exception.

There is a need to review university projects conducted by faculty, staff, students and visiting scientists that involve biosafety and biosecurity activities to ensure that all work with biohazardous agents is conducted in accordance with applicable legislation, guidelines and recognised codes and standards of practice in ways that best facilitate relevant research, teaching or service activities of the university.

Universities must rethink their crisis management strategies. Covid-19 has called universities to attention; to continually review and be flexible in quickly adapting to the changing dynamics that confront them. In these uncertain times, universities need a paradigm shift from their complacency and be prepared for emerging challenges like the pandemic and even bioterrorism.

Dr Okoth is a molecular scientist at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology; Dr Manyali is the dean, School of Science, Kaimosi Friends University College;