The United Kingdom (UK) on Monday announced some £7.2 million Covid-19 research support to Nigeria and other countries to address the impact of the pandemic in vulnerable communities.
The UK government said it was investing in 20 new research projects which includes; delivering mass vaccination capacity in Bangladesh, protective equipment for refugees in Jordan and remote healthcare access for patients in Nigeria.
These 20 new projects will benefit from a share of £7.2 million of UK government funding to develop new technology and processes to address challenges in partnership with some of the UK’s leading research institutions.
Some of the projects according to a statement from the UK Department for International Trade are; a training programme to be led by King’s College London for healthcare workers across Nigeria and Tanzania enabling them to deliver trusted and safe care to patients over the phone where internet availability is limited.
Trials will involve 20 health clinics in each country to test the effectiveness of remote health appointments, recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) during the pandemic, to help minimise physical contact that could spread the virus. King’s College London will work with University of Ibadan, Nigeria; Makerere University, Uganda; and St. Francis University College of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania.
SEE ALSO: COVID-19 has negatively affected Nigeria’s primary education system, says NGO
The University of Bath and University of Lagos aim to address the issue of limited Covid-19 testing capacity in Africa by leading a project to measure the disease in domestic wastewater, which can help reveal the health status of a population.
“By studying wastewater, real-time information about infection prevalence across South Africa and Nigeria can be accessed, enabling rapid identification of Covid-19 hot spots, and helping to shape decisions around entry and exit from ‘lockdown’ periods” the statement read.
“The University of Birmingham, working with Brac University and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology will lead a project to increase vaccine access in developing economies, by researching more effective ways of storing and transporting vaccines from manufacture to the point of use. Weak supply chains with inconsistent temperature control can reduce the effectiveness of vaccines by up to 25 per cent, so this vital project will help fast track Covid-19 vaccine delivery”, it added.
“Defeating coronavirus is a truly global endeavour, which is why we’re backing Britain’s scientists and researchers to work with their international counterparts to find tech solutions to treat and combat this virus around the world,” business secretary, Alok Sharma said.
The funding follows the launch of the government’s ambitious R&D Roadmap in July, which committed to boosting international collaboration in research and development and establishing global scientific partnerships that will create health, social and economic benefits across the world.
It will be managed by UK aid programmes- the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and the Newton Fund- through UK Research and Innovation.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
