This mitigation and management response has been informed
by scientific research, which is led by an elite group of home-grown scientists
who have undertaken cutting-edge studies to understand the pandemic in the
African context and proffer mitigation and management advice to authorities.
Among this exclusive group is a Zimbabwean-born
epidemiologist, who has worked at the vanguard in helping devise means to shore
up and marshal Africa’s defence and response to the deadly pandemic.
Professor Francisca Mutapi, one of the foremost immunology
and epidemiology experts to emerge from the African continent, is scaling
dizzying heights in leading the ground-breaking research, which has been
deployed to sharpen the continent’s pandemic response and management efforts.
The unassuming top scientist rose from humble beginnings at
the University of Zimbabwe, where she started her journey in academia.
Over a 20-year journey, she has risen to become one of the
leading lights involved in steering the continent towards a science-based
response to pandemics.
Her trailblazing work in examining the many facets of the
lethal coronavirus is helping shape, not only Zimbabwe’s but Africa’s
understanding of the novel virus.
She became the first black African female professor at the
University of Edinburgh in Scotland in the institution’s 430-year history,
where she is also co-director of the Global Health Academy.
Prof Mutapi is the deputy director of the National
Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Unit Tackling
Infections to Benefit Africa (TIBA) — an Africa-led multi-disciplinary research
programme empowering African scientists and policy makers to effectively and
sustainably tackle Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). NIHR is a United Kingdom
government agency which funds research into health and care, and is the largest
national clinical research funder in Europe
Her work over the years has focused on research around
tropical diseases such as bilharzia (schistosomiasis) and malaria as well as
improving preparedness for epidemics in Africa. She has conducted and led
scientific research programmes that have extraordinarily impacted policy,
practice and implementation of NTDs control in Africa.
Prof Mutapi has recently directed her expertise in
infectious diseases epidemiology and immunology towards helping steer Africa’s
response and management of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Recently, together with a team of fellow African experts,
they presented findings from pioneering research on Covid-19 variants in Africa
during a World Health Organisation Africa press briefing. She told The Sunday
Mail last week that hard work, humility and consistency have guided her to rise
to the pinnacle of her profession.
“Whether male or female, one just has to work very hard and
consistently, seek counsel, act on the advice and treat everyone with kindness
and respect,” she said.
“My job entails conducting research, training and mentoring
future research leaders, teaching undergraduates and advising and informing
strategic plans for global research bodies, funding agencies and global health
stakeholders.
“The title of my professorship comes from my research work.
I conduct and lead basic scientific research (immunology, molecular biology and
epidemiology) on infectious diseases to generate scientific evidence to inform
control policies and disease management.”
Her most recent work for the WHO traced the prevalence of
new Covid-19 mutations in Africa, which have spawned an aggressive second wave,
in the wake of mass gatherings and widespread travelling over the festive
season holidays. The research concluded that the continent is now confronted
with emerging and highly contagious variants of the virus.
Africa recorded an average of 25 200 cases daily between
December 28 and January 1, which was nearly 39 percent higher than the July
2020 two-week peak of 18 104 daily average.
She said the research concluded that most of the early
Covid-19 cases recorded on the continent emerged from Europe and not China.
Prof Mutapi spearheaded the first-ever analysis of all
publicly available genome sequence data from all African countries that have
Covid-19 variants circulating in the respective countries.
Genome sequencing enables scientists to understand the
exact genetic make-up carried in a particular DNA segment. It is being used to
detect the new Covid-19 variants across the world.
“In Africa, we have a phrase we learnt during the early
years of HIV, which is, ‘you need to know your epidemic to know your response’.
This is critical for Covid-19,” she said.
“This work showed us that 24 WHO Africa member states had
submitted sequences to the public databases by January 12, 2021. These
sequences tell us about the history of the Covid-19 pandemic in Africa.
“For instance, we now know that most of our early cases
came from Europe, not China. The sequences also tell us which variants are circulating
on the continent.”
New virus mutations have been discovered in three SADC
countries — South Africa, Zambia and Botswana — placing Zimbabwe, which is yet
to conclude its genome sequencing study, at huge risk. The sequencing study
will enable Zimbabwe to understand the exact variants circulating in the
country.
“It would be informative for Zimbabwe to sequence the
Covid-19 viruses circulating in the country,” said Prof Mutapi.
“This would indicate if the variant from South Africa is
present in Zimbabwe, as well as identify the other variants circulating.”
She said while there was no evidence suggesting that the
new mutations interfere with Polymerase Chain Reaction. Sunday Mail
0 comments:
Post a Comment