Researchers have raised concern over the continued risks of the spread of communicable diseases due to the influx of immigrants from outbreak-prone countries.
The researchers expressed fears that the cross-border movement of people from diseases-hit areas had complicated efforts to research on the cure since the infectious anti bodies may have mutated and developed resistance.
The concerns were raised during the Research and Innovation week at Mount Kenya University where it emerged that lack of enough funding and being unfamiliar with many of such diseases make it difficult for them to come up with the cures on time.
Led by the institution’s Head of Research and Innovations Dr Francis Makhoha, they emphasized the need for robust screening and surveillance at entry points to prevent the entry of such diseases in the country.
Citing an example, Dr Makhoha recalled that three years ago, the country had been declared measles-free, but in recent years, there has been some outbreaks of the disease.
These cases, he said, stem from undiagnosed immigrant’s children harboring infectious diseases.
Additionally, he drew attention to the recent outbreaks of diseases like monkey-pox, which originated in Central Africa, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which spread globally despite originating in China.
“Had stringent health measures been in place, the spread of diseases like COVID-19 could have been averted. This sometimes puts our researchers at a difficult position of coming up with drugs to treat ailments that we are unfamiliar with,” he added.
He at the same time acknowledged that the lack of funding and insufficient support from the donor community and the government remain significant challenges in scaling up research and implementing preventive measures.
“Sometimes we are not well equipped to research on some of these new ailments brought from other countries. It thus becomes a challenge to respond to the infectious diseases on time,” Dr Makhoha said.
MKU Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academics and Research Affairs Dr. Mercyline Kamande, who officially opened the symposium, encouraged the youth to embrace innovation and actively contribute to finding solutions, particularly as the world faces ongoing and emerging health crises.
Students who attended the event echoed while urging the government and other stakeholders to increase support for student-led research and innovation and said the country should not be grappling with emerging pandemics and other diseases at this age.
Elijah Mwanda Maore and Laveta Namai, both first-year Medicine and Science students at MKU, while underscoring the impact of the country’s role in hosting refugees from conflict-ridden neighboring countries emphasized the need for innovative solutions to manage the associated health risks.
By Muoki Charles
