The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation; international developer, manufacturer and distributor of pharmaceuticals; Merck & Co. Inc, Cambridge University and the University of Rome have expressed the desire to contribute to building research capacity in the African research community, with special focus on Ebola and emergent infectious diseases.

 

They have also expressed the desire to identify scientific research priorities for evolving health needs, while they have also identified opportunities to help researchers capitalise on HIV research capacities for emerging infectious diseases in Africa such as Ebola.

 

They promised to address the vital role of research in the improvement and sustainable development of population health, with specific emphasis on how to translate knowledge into action to improve health and make an impact on society.

 

 

All this will be dealt with in-depth at the UNESCO-Merck Africa Research Summit, which will be held on October 19-20 in Switzerland.

 

A press release distributed by the African Press Organisation on behalf of Merck said the summit would provide a networking platform for dialogue on improving global cooperation on health research and narrowing the disparities in health systems performance between developing and developed countries.

 

“It will create an African researchers’ network where there will be exchange of experience, knowledge, best practice (especially in Ebola management) and cooperation in future research and development projects,” it stated.

 

In 2015, the inaugural summit will have a special focus on HIV and Ebola, highlighting how experience gained from investigating the former could inform and drive the rapid understanding of the latter in the recent crisis in West Africa.

 

Diverse sets of speakers from academia, research institutes, major funding organisations of health/medical research, chairs of medical research councils, NGOs, industry, established and emergent researchers, policy makers, ministries of health and editors of scientific/medical journals, etc., will be participating.

 

By: SOLAADE AYO-ADERELE

The Punch