Testing a continent with its neglected diseases: “Where will the money for research come from if water and electricity are the priority?” | Planet of the future
“Africa will never be the benchmark in research.” Ghanaian biochemists Lydia Mosi (43) and Nigerian Gloria Dada (41) were pessimistic about the announcement in an interview minutes before attending the Aneswad Foundation 2024 awards ceremony in Bilbao last week. They both work as researchers and teachers. Mosi of the University of Ghana discusses Buruli and Dada ulcer, leishmaniasis, at Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria. This pair of ailments is one of the 21 neglected tropical diseases identified by the World Health Organization (WHO). The African continent is the place in the world where the most people suffer from them.
Most of the funding for research into these conditions in local laboratories comes from the West. “We are completely dependent on collaborations and corporations from abroad, 97% of the money comes from there. We have almost no locally funded projects,” says Mosi. Dada does not expect financial help from his country’s government either. “Where will the money for research come from if the priority in Africa is having water and electricity or filling potholes in the roads so villages aren’t cut off?”
Big pharmaceutical companies primarily fund malaria and tuberculosis because they are global diseases.
Gloria Dada, biochemist specializing in leishmaniasis
Research into neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) is one of the continent’s biggest headaches. “Big pharmaceutical companies primarily fund malaria or tuberculosis because they are global diseases. But in the pharmacies of our countries you will not find drugs for NTDs,” says Dada. Part of the problem, she says, is that the West has its own priorities. “They will finance projects that benefit them. Very few organizations support important research for Africa,” he admits. If there is no early diagnosis and treatment takes time, these diseases can lead to surgery or skin grafts for a long period and even disability.
Rural drama
These diseases, half of which affect the skin, are predominantly endemic in poor rural areas of the continent. “There are people in Ghana who have never even heard of Buruli ulcer and don’t know how serious it can be,” explains Mosi of the disease, which is caused by bacteria and found in 33 countries around the world where the majority are African. It is treated with antibiotics taken orally, such as rifampicin. But doctors in Africa also use other injectable treatments such as streptomycin, which has many side effects. According to Dada, ideally, the patient should receive injections of the medicine every day at a health center or be admitted to a hospital for observation for eight weeks, the duration of this treatment. “If he travels 40 kilometers every day for injections or spends the night in the hospital, the patient has to stop working, but he cannot do this. Nobody thinks about such cases, so we say that these are forgotten diseases. The government is not interested in investing in helping these specific efforts. That word is negligence,” he notes.
When samples were collected from small, resource-poor villages in Nigeria, more than 70% of tests were positive for schistosomiasis, a gastrointestinal infection caused by worms that also affects the genitals and urinary system. Researchers say some researchers have biased views on neglected tropical diseases. “Many people don’t want to continue working there because there is no funding. Although they affect the poorest, they are equally important and helpless,” suggests Dada. Moreover, these rural areas are difficult to reach. “Nobody goes there, these are unsafe places in the country,” the biochemist continues.
I found it difficult to publish papers without a Western partner signing me, as if my professional experience was not worth the same as that of a European biologist.
Lydia Mosi, biochemist specializing in Buruli ulcer.
“We could be the best”
To date, any progress in the diagnosis of NTDs is the result of financial support received from the West. “If this continues, we will never become a benchmark. We can be the best because we have the most difficult cases and we know the best ways to treat them,” says Mosi. The solution, she says, lies in empowering African scientists. “It was difficult for me to publish articles without the signature of a Western partner, as if my professional experience was not worth the same as the experience of a European biologist. It’s an uphill battle,” he recalls. Dadaism agrees that modern science is heavily influenced by race and gender and that “colonization still exists.” The goal for her is to decolonize research methodologies, disrupting power dynamics by embracing more African-led initiatives. In addition, this requires greater representation on the map of domestic researchers and, above all, domestic researchers.
In addition to scientific decolonization, these researchers are also leading the fight to make visible the role of African women in science. They participated in the documentary Think outside the boxwhich Aneswad presents this Wednesday and which is “a tribute to African women explorers.”
Lydia Mosi and Gloria Dada dream of being role models for both girls and boys. “I am aware of the challenges women face, but our challenges in Africa are more than that and the journey is difficult for everyone,” says Dada. “Give opportunities to those who want to work hard” is their motto.
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