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Strengthening clinical investigation of traditional medicines for parasite and viral infection

Organisation that leads the work package: University of Yaoundé I

Objectives

To perform a literature review of phytochemistry and pharmacological properties including safety and efficacy evidence of identified products used in the involved countries by traditional healers for the treatment of malaria and COVID19
To organize training for drafting protocols for clinical studies on pharmaceutical products using WHO AFRO guidelines and national regulations, in compliance with WHO guidelines for Good Clinical Practices
To organize training for traditional practitioners on intellectual property and ownership rights in coordination with WHO AFRO
To organize a regional seminar on strategies for scientific valorization and validation of medicinal plants and traditional remedies

Description of work

This work package addresses the need for building human resources and skills for conducting clinical investigation on medicinal plants in Central Africa regions, and for strengthening collaboration between scientists at different institutions and traditional healers in order to foster the process of some useful medicinal plants validation, a request made by most local and political stakeholders in the context of this COVID-19 health crisis. As investigations on malaria has represented a strength for CANTAM projects, this disease and others bacterial and viral infections will be used for developing such capacities in Gabon, Cameroon, Republic of Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo during these trainings under the supervision WHO/AFRO.

Task 2.1 Develop capacities in phytochemical and pharmacological evaluation of natural products in view of discovering novel agents against Plasmodium falciparum and SARS-CoV-2 (Lead: UY1; other: FCRM, CERMEL, UB, Unikin, EKUT, UCL)
Task 2.2 Strengthen collaboration with traditional healers (Lead: EKUT; other: FCRM, CERMEL, CIRMF, UY1, UB, Unikin, UCL, CRFiLMT)
Task 2.3 Develop online training material for the conduct of clinical investigations on medicinal plants (Lead: UY1 and UCL; others: FCRM, CERMEL, CIRMF, UB, Unikin, CRFiLMT)