Science is key to responding to epidemics

A rapid and adequate response to epidemics requires investment in science, technology and education.

These were the words of renowned scientists Professor Quarraisha and Salim Abdool Karim who shared lessons learnt from HIV for COVID-19.

“In March somebody asked me, will we have a COVID-19 vaccine this year and my response was no way. It takes at least seven to 10 years to do that. Well, today as we gather we have five vaccines that have been shown to be efficacious. It really is the tale of the hare and the tortoise and it tells us that science moves because of investments and while it took us 30 years, we still don’t have an HIV vaccine.

“We have been able to move much more rapidly because of the investments made in HIV and TB [Tuberculosis] that we were rapidly able to mobilise to respond to this [COVID-19],” said Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim.

The esteemed Professor made the remarks during the opening session of the Science Forum South Africa 2020 where she, together with her fellow epidemiologist, researcher and husband, renowned Professor Salim Abdool Karim, delivered the plenary lecture.

Professors Quarraisha Abdool Karim and Salim Abdool Karim both work at the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), as Associate Scientific Director and Director respectively.

Recognising innovation

Detailing their work on HIV with research spanning over three decades, the pair delivered the opening lecture at this year’s forum where they were later presented with the Strait of Magellan Award by Chilean Ambassador to South Africa Francisco Javier Berguño Hurtado.

The Strait of Magellan Award is an initiative of the government of Chile to honour the 500th anniversary of the beginning of explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s historic journey around the earth, which was completed by Sebastián Elcano.

According to Berguño Hurtado, Chile commemorates this date through the recognition of innovators who, through their research or actions, have contributed to providing solutions to global needs.

The initiative, Berguno Hurtado said, seeks to recognise innovation and entrepreneurship, with the aim of building a better world together.

Highlighting the lessons learned from HIV for COVID-19, Prof Quarraisha Abdool Karim said they have learned that public communication, science advocacy, political leadership, community engagement and partnerships are key for mounting a comprehensive response when confronted with epidemics.

“To know our epidemics and know our responses, needs strong information systems and rapid case identification through testing and rapid diagnostics that are appearing for COVID-19 is going to change the face of our response, but we also learned how fragile we are in Africa when we don’t drive innovation.

“When we don’t drive things that we need and we have to join the queue with better resourced nations and we saw that with PPEs [personal protective equipment] and we saw that with test kits and we are likely to see that with vaccines as well,” she said.

Adequate response

Science has to be at the core of the country’s response to COVID-19 and epidemics, she said.

“We also heard about incomplete knowledge and differences of opinion and replicability is what takes us to consensus,” she said.

Reflecting on their research, Professor Salim Abdool Karim noted as issues, ethics, denialism and stigma that can delay the effective roll out of treatment in epidemics.

“In 2000, I was asked to write this editorial published in Science and Nature about the big issues we were grappling with about the ethics of the HIV vaccines and globalisation. Just think for a moment this in 2000, 20 years later we [are] now having the same discussion about COVID vaccines and ethics,” he said.

Taking up that challenge from Science and Nature, Karim said part of his research looked into HIV denialism.

At the time, the country was grappling with the denialism issue which saw the country fall behind in terms of making HIV treatment available.

“And this reminds me a lot of the denialism about COVID and not just when somebody points to Brazil, the US or the UK but even in our own country – oh it’s just like flu. That is just another form of denialism for COVID,” he said.

Professor Karim said by understanding the issues in HIV research, South African was better positioned to prepare and respond to COVID-19.

The three-day forum will continue virtually on Thursday and wrap up on Friday.