Data Collected During Emergencies Can Raise Money, Scientists Advised

By KT Reporter

The Ministry of Health has asked scientists involved in control of public health emergencies to come up with innovations that can continue yielding money even after outbreaks have long been controlled.

Speaking to scientists at an event to mark the twenty years’ anniversary of the Africa Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), Dr Daniel Kyabayinze, the Director Public Health said whenever outbreaks hit, the ministry often delays to mount the necessary response because they don’t have money on Day Zero and yet the data epidemiologists collect a lot of information which if sold to pharmaceutical companies can help create a fund for such emergencies.

Kyabayinze was speaking after AFENET Director Dr Simon Antara expressed need for funding worth 160 million dollars for strengthening their work in the area of climate change and Non-Communicable Diseases among other lined up health projects. He wondered whether scientists sold the data collected during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa or offered their samples to pharmaceutical companies free of charge saying samples collected should have been patented.

The director went on that when countries like Uganda experience outbreaks, they collect a lot of information and samples which are quickly picked up to manufacture therapeutics and vaccines, however it’s not clear how countries benefit. He now says that there is need to ensure that when such products are finally made available, participating countries are prioritized with a certain percentage of the products.

On his part, Dr Antara, a Medical Epidemiologist, says that Uganda was among the first countries to start special training for field epidemiologists who collect samples and other data when outbreaks and other health emergencies hit.

However, while Uganda has been training epidemiologists for long, the country is still far from achieving the recommended ratios by the World Health Organization of one specialist per 200,000 people.