COVID19 testing at Ghana-Togo Border towns

Problem

Since the beginning of 2020 the COVID19 pandemic has been raging through high and lows. Fortunately, the pandemic has been curbed to some extent through vaccinations and booster shots. However, in developing countries such as Ghana, two major challenges still persist due to the pandemic. First, vaccination is at its lowest due to the unavailability and cost of procurement of vaccines. The African continent has vaccinated only 6% of its population in comparison with over 70% in high-income countries has vaccinated more than 40% of their populations (World Health Organization, October 2021). Currently, less than 10% of African countries have hit their vaccination goals.

Above is the vaccination rate by continent as published in the Washington Post (July 2021)

 

Second, land borders have been closed across the African continent which has been necessitated by fear rather than empirical scientific testing. Without testing, it is unclear the prevalence and extent of local viral spread on the continent. However, the impact of the the shutdown is evident across the region with families who rely on cross-country trade suffering everyday. Most traders are petty traders with limited warehouses and so rely on frequent access to the market. Pre-pandemic, the Ghana-Togo border alone records more than a 1000 travelers daily. Now, it is restricted to cargo trucks and even that the drivers, who ensure the supply chain, are not tested due to the absence of testing kits. It is our goal to push for the border reopening especially with the emergence of the new Omicron variant which has been detected in South Africa. We fear that without testing the border closure will continue and all hopes of reopening the border will be shattered.

 

Currently closed border crossing in a town that used to see 1000 travelers per day..... almost look abandoned.

 

Solution

The Sena Institute of Technology is a nonprofit organization based in Ghana which has in the past few years developed the capability to conduct molecular diagnostics such as COVID19 testing. In addition, it has procured a -80 ultrafreezer to store and distribute reagents and vaccines in remote towns near the Ghana-Togo border. The institute is conveniently located 30 minutes from the Aflao border and 10 min from the Akanu Border (both at the Ghana-Togo borders). The goal is to pilot COVID19 testing at the institute and among delivery drivers working crossing the border while putting the infrastructure to expand testing to local residents and the general public. With this strategy we would pioneer the reopening of the entire land crossing across the African continent.

Current SIT facility for molecular biology laboratory, a library and administrative offices.

 

To begin testing, we would install solar panels at the institute to ensure a stable and reliable power is available to support the cooling of our reagents, testing kits and vaccines when they become available at the institute. The requested funds will enable us install solar panels while purchasing sufficient COVID19 testing kits. The solar installation will greatly benefit the Sub-Saharan African Genome Repository which will make molecular reagents and strains cheaply available to scientists on the continent. With a stable energy supply we can store samples such as virus, bacteria, plants, fungi and mammalian cell lines including human biopsy tissues for further experimentation and share these resources with the African scientific community.

 

List of model organisms for research on the continent.

 

Our staff are eager to lead efforts to reopen land borders across Africa and drive science-based reopening efforts on the continent. Through strategic planning we look forward to easing the economic burden of COVID19 on families across the continent.

 

SIT staff testing a PCR machine at the institute.

 

By supporting this project you will be helping alleviate undue economic hardship in the region, helping us develop a lasting solution to reopening the continent and ensuring that Africa emerges out of the pandemic stronger.

Alternatively, you can donate through our website 

Send checks to:
Sena Institute of Technology Foundation
48 Glenville avenue, Unit 8
Boston, MA 02134, USA

 

About the organizer:

Kwasi Agbleke is the President of Sena Institute of Technology. He is a strong advocate for science on the African continent and hope that this effort will lead to a greater good on the continent. He has personally supported the institute and wish that through this effort the continent will be better prepared to deal with global threats such as COVID19 in the future.

 

Thank you for the support.