Knowledge sharing and capacity building are key to advance scientific research and innovation. One of the main objectives of the PREV_PKDL project is to strengthen immunology research capacity in East Africa by promoting the development of a flow cytometry Centre of Excellence.
To achieve this goal, flow cytometers were installed at the four African sites (IEND, Sudan; KEMRI, Kenya; University of Gondar, Ethiopia; University of Makerere, Uganda) and flow managers identified to create a nucleus of highly skilled experts able to foster further local research and training in their own countries.
Within the flow cytometry training programme provided by the University of York to the PREV_PKDL African partners, collaborations have been established with the CREDO project to extend the training to colleagues at the Institut National de la Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) located in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The CREDO project is funded by the Belgian Development Cooperation and is launched by the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. It aims at improving the health of the Congolese population through building capacity for research in new and (re)emerging diseases.
This collaborative effort highlights the potential of the flow cytometry Centre of Excellence in promoting research activities and capacity building in Africa, creating value that will underpin future vaccine and drug trials for diseases affecting these regions.