Africa news roundup: 5-11 June

Image: Grace Gay for Research Professional News

This week: Ebola border checks, diarrhoeal disease, digital investments and Brics call deadline extended

In depth: Africa’s disease agency and the World Health Organization are looking for US$68 million to fund research and knowledge management as part of an ambitious six-month plan to tackle the Ebola outbreak raging in central Africa.

Full story: Africa CDC and WHO seek $68m to close Ebola research gaps

Also this week from Research Professional News

South Africa to link science funding with small businesses—Collaboration agreement would connect SMEs and startups to technology stations, living labs and incubation hubs

Here is the rest of the week’s Africa news…

 Africa CDC backs border checks as Ebola cases rise

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on 9 June urged countries to review and strengthen their border screening protocols as Ebola cases continue to rise in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. While blanket travel bans can hamper the outbreak response, careful border screening is a “practical, visible and verifiable” way to reduce the risk of further spread, the agency said. “Protecting public health and preserving safe movement must go together,” Jean Kaseya, the Africa CDC director-general, said in a statement. As of 9 June, there were more than 600 confirmed cases of Ebola and over 110 recorded deaths, with more of both reported every day.

EDCTP3 grants €21m to beat child diarrhoea

A €21 million Global Health EDCTP3 investment will fund four research projects targeting diarrhoeal diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, a leading killer of young children in the region. The Care-Africa project will develop an AI diagnostic tool for frontline clinics; PRoRota will test probiotics to boost rotavirus vaccine performance in newborns; Hunadia will run a phase 3 trial of a new cholera treatment that cut mortality by 30 per cent in animal models; and Target will study improved treatments for diarrhoeal disease in malnourished children. Climate change is forecast to cause numbers of diarrhoeal cases in children to spike by 2030, Global Health EDCTP3 said.

Nzimande: Southern Africa needs to invest in digital economy

Southern African countries must urgently invest in digitisation to avoid falling behind economically, Blade Nzimande, South Africa’s science minister, said this week. He was speaking on 8 June at the launch of National Science Week in neighbouring Eswatini. “The rise of the digital age has not automatically produced greater economic equity. In some cases, it has deepened historical inequalities, giving rise to what is often described as the digital divide, or even digital apartheid,” he said. The Southern African Development Community should view digital transformation as a way to accelerate the development of critical skills and future-focused education, boost regional economic cooperation and build an inclusive economy, he said.

South Africa extends deadline for Brics flagship call

The National Research Foundation in South Africa has extended the closing date of a Brics flagship funding call by three weeks. The funding body will now accept applications until 10 July, rather than the original deadline of 16 June, the NRF said. This extension applies only to the part of the application that goes to the NRF. International teams must still submit their joint application form through the online Brics application platform by 16 June. The flagship call is open to teams including partners from at least four Brics countries. Funding targets three areas: climate science, mental health, and a telescope network. India, which was originally omitted from some of the call documents, has since joined the programme.

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