Staging this conference in all time zones with fair distribution of prime-time events was no small feat. But the exchange of ideas, experiences and solutions remained a strong priority.
COVID-19 antibody tests can’t replace the use of PCR tests in people showing symptoms. But they can help test people who may be infected and asymptomatic.
An ideal test for the diagnosis of COVID-19 would be cheap, accurate and easy to use. The key is to choose an affordable test with the strengths and limitations meet a population’s needs.
There isn’t enough clinical research being done in Africa. This has had a lot of repercussions in terms of the timing when interventions become available and effective in high income countries.
Vaccine development usually spans a number of decades. This is because there’s a need to understand the mechanisms of protection against the pathogen, and to minimise adverse reactions.
History shows that treatments and vaccines have been accessible to African countries only after the loss of millions of lives and typically years - sometimes decades - after developed nations.
In a country marred by systematic discrimination and continued social marginalisation, particular consideration needs to be given to the measures being used to contain the spread of COVID-19.
African policymakers should strenuously safeguard their right to choose from the widest possible range of technology options that suit their countries’ development needs.
There has been a rapid redirection of resources towards COVID-19-related research. In the long term, this resource reallocation is likely to result in budget cuts in all research areas.
Findings that are effectively communicated can go a long way to serve the interests of the public. They can help to address social injustices or improve treatments offered to patients.
While there are various good reasons for doing research and funding research, the chief reason is that research provides essential insurance against catastrophic events.
Dean Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at University of the Witwatersrand; and Director of the SAMRC Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand
Professor of Organic Chemistry, Neville Isdell Chair in African-centric Drug Discovery & Development, and Director of the Holistic Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Centre, University of Cape Town
Professor of medicine and deputy director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town