Cameroon
Duration
2023-2024
Lead institutions
Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
University of Buea
Academic partners
Jacop Souopgui
Stephen Mbigha Ghogomu
Programme
AV
Total budget
59,998
General objective
The overall objective of this project is to contribute towards achieving the public health goal of onchocerciasis elimination. The final goal of this project is to validate OvMANE1 and OvMCBL02 multiepitope antigens as biomarkers that can be used to develop a non-invasive test to map onchocerciasis in areas of low endemicity and to determine treatment endpoints.
Summary
Onchocerciasis is a parasitic disease that has a significant socioeconomic negative impact, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
The success recorded in disrupting the spread of the disease in some isolate foci in Africa has led to a shift in the health goal of onchocerciasis in Africa from control to elimination.
However, this transition is a tedious process because disease elimination programmes must shift from working only with communities with symptomatic people to detecting and working with communities with infected but asymptomatic people.
The outcome of the project is manifold and includes (i) obtaining a patent, (ii) creating a university spin-off, and (iii) impacting positively the onchocerciasis national programmes in endemic countries.
