Necessity is the mother of invention. Today we
have twitter campaigns, #GiveAfricaZmapp and #
GiveThemExperimentalDrugs. As meaningful as
these begging campaigns are, they must not be our
only hope at addressing the Ebola plague.
#AfricanCure is directed to the presidents of
African nations. Nigeria, the largest and one of the
most naturally capable, endowed nations ? with
resource, wealth and people ? is particularly
pressed. We can develop an African cure in
months. The US insists they will not help us till
two years are passed. Let?s accept they have their
protocols for manufacture and commercialization
of their stuff. We cannot press them. They only
test their drugs on our healthy kids, not our dying.
They did not test the drug on Sheikh Khan, but did
on their citizens for obvious reasons. It is their
prerogative. We must define ours too.
Also read: 'Ebola outbreak a national emergency'
African leaders must no longer be allowed to
dance and have launch ceremonies when they
build roads and repair trains; social services of
1950. It is time we press our leaders to meet up
with 2014 demands of life. Necessity is the mother
of invention; we must take advantage of our crises
to develop our solutions. Iran today is highly
developed due to the challenges of decades of
cruel sanctions. World wars led to the
development and advancement of technologies like
the GPS we use today. Indeed in our very own
Nigeria, the challenge of the Biafra war saw the
East spin out amazing military machines and the
seeking solutions in dire times is not unrelated to
the advanced productivity of that region today.
Zmapp is not the most complex technological
remedy. In fact, this is Bio 101. Recovering and
cloning antibodies is the oldest trick in the book
for developing immunization to diseases. The
Federal Government of Nigeria, FGN is
challenged to sit-up and first, collaborate with its
Liberian partner. Zmapp serum samples were
obtained from a certain African kid who developed
antibodies that defeated his Ebola infection.
Zmapp antibodies are an African copyright
property. The FGN must seek out candidates who
have overcome Ebola from whom antibody-laden
serum will be harvested. This involves
responsibility and cooperation.
Next, the antibodies will be identified in the serum
sample by proteomics or other methods, analyzed
through peptide digestion and mass spectrometry.
Once the monoclonal antibodies are properly
identified, these will be purified and cloned for
real-time testing on our dying brother and sisters.
As a trained physician and molecular biologist, I
submit that this process is not complicated and
very feasible to achieve within months if the
Nigerian administration is serious. We expect
something to be done. It is passed time for African
cures to African problems.

Nice write up and idea, but MONTHS?! Africa needs it like in weeks.

you mean nigeria can develop zmapp to cure **ebele virus** wonders can never end

I hope so