Against the backdrop of the raging Lassa fever virus, the Redeemer’s University, (RUN), Ede, Osun State, has developed a test kit known as Pan-Lassa Rapid Diagnostics Test (PL RDT), that enables the testing of urine, faeces and blood samples of humans or multmamelar rats for Lassa fever in 10 minutes.
The discovery which also contains molecules that inhibit Lassa fever and a potential vaccine against Lassa fever, is one of the discoveries of the institution’s World-Bank funded African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID).
L-R: Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kayode Adekeye; Director, World Bank Funded African Center of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Prof. Christian Happi; Vice Chancellor, Prof. Debo Adeyewa and the Registrar, Mrs. Bolatito Oloketuyi during the Press Conference on New Research Breakthrough on Lassa Fever, held at Redeemer’s University, Ede in Osun State.
The Vice Chancellor of RUN, Professor Debo Adeyewa, who spoke Weekend, at the unveiling of the new research breakthrough on Lassa Fever, at the university’s Senate Chambers, however, blamed authorities of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), over its policy that denies private universities access to its funds, noting that this hurts Nigeria, particularly in the areas of research and development.
Professor Adeyewa, who raised this concern, said the university has been at the fore-front of researches and discoveries, but decried that the paucity of funds and the inability of the university to access funds from TETFund, stalls the commercialization of its research breakthroughs on Ebola and Lassa Fever virus.
Decrying the policy Adeyewa said: “TETFund pumps a lot of money into public universities for physical structures. But the fact remains that once researches and development are not prioritised, nothing will come out of it. “Without funds from TETFund, the Redeemer’s University is doing exploit in the area of researches and development.
This means we can do greater exploits if the federal government allows TETFund to make its intervention funds available to private universities. Our university made new discoveries when Ebola was raging and now we have also made new discovery on Lassa fever virus.
SCANNEWS
