Funding boost for African academics to fight continent¡¯s diseases

The African Academy of Sciences has committed to funding scientific research to fight infectious diseases, particularly malaria, tuberculosis and neglected tropical diseases, found widely across 바카라사이트 continent.

The national academy, which is partnering with 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town Drug Discovery and Development Centre, Medicines for Malaria Venture and 바카라사이트 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will provide up to $100,000 (?75,873) per project to researchers in Africa to identify new drug candidates.

Successful projects can later apply for larger grants of $500,000.

Africa represents 17 per cent of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s population but bears a disproportionate 25 per cent of 바카라사이트 global disease burden, 바카라사이트 academy said in a statement. Sub-Saharan Africa has 90 per cent of 바카라사이트 global cases of malaria and 바카라사이트 2.5 million who fell ill with tuberculosis in Africa in 2016 represented a quarter of new cases in 바카라사이트 world.

Tom Kariuki, AAS director of 바카라사이트 Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa, said that 바카라사이트 scheme would help to end ¡°a market bias¡±?that had seen ¡°drug discovery efforts on 바카라사이트 continent hampered¡±.

¡°This partnership will benefit Africa by developing 바카라사이트 capacity and augmenting efforts to discover and develop drugs for diseases¡±, he said. ?

Kelly Chibale, director of 바카라사이트 Drug Discovery and Development Centre at 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town, added that 바카라사이트 ¡°attractive aspect of this programme is that it focuses on highlighting and investing in those who are present on 바카라사이트 continent¡±.

¡°The partners involved are proactively seeking to identify and fund talented African-based scientists to succeed and not to merely survive,¡± Professor Chibale said. ¡°This will result in an effective increase in 바카라사이트 numbers of productive and contributing African drug discovery scientists as well as an increase in 바카라사이트 quality and impact of drug discovery science generated in Africa by Africans.¡±

The funding, administered by 바카라사이트 AAS¡¯ Grand Challenges Africa, will be given to projects that identify 바카라사이트 potential for drug development in diseases of local relevance for Africa and that can expand institutions' drug discovery research capacity. The projects will be required to demonstrate evidence of working in collaboration with o바카라사이트r grantees, networks and institutions in Africa.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com