The Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State, has received a German grant to investigate the impact and implications of COVID-19 and malaria co‐infection.
A letter conveying the development announced that the funding of the Humboldt Research Hub is made possible by the support from the Bayer Science and Education Foundation, Germany.
The grant entails the establishment of a molecular laboratory in LAUTECH to build human capacity prepared to handle disease outbreaks.
The research concept is entitled: ‘Establishment of Centre for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases’, LAUTECH’s spokesman, Mr Lekan Fadeyi, said in a statement.
“Specifically, the funding will establish a molecular biology laboratory and investigate the impact and implications of COVID 19/malaria co‐infection,” Fadeyi said.
The German Foundation said in the letter of award to LAUTECH that it hoped that the study would help to understand the clinical and immunological responses of malaria‐infected patients to COVID‐19
The five-year funding is expected to begin from August 2021 and end in July 2026, Fadeyi added.
At the molecular laboratory, Professor Olusola Ojuroungbe, the Dean of Post Graduate School, LAUTECH, will work with Professor Thirumalaisamy Velavan of the University of Tuebingen, Germany. Prof. Mohamed Osman of the University of Khartoum, Sudan, will also be part of the research.
