India has announced that it will be staring chemical trials in search of a new BCG TB vaccine.
A partnership was launched between Kenya and India months ago in efforts to enhance cooperation in the health sector as part of ongoing strategies by the Kenyan government to further improve quality and access to primary healthcare.
Former Health Chief Administrative Secretary Mercy Mwangangi and Indian ambassador to Kenya Virander Paul met as part of the partnership process.
While making the announcement on the new BCG vaccine at the ongoing Indian Science Congress, Dr Shekhar Mande, the former director-general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, said technology has helped doctors and researchers understand TB better.
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“We are mainly focusing on new medicines and drugs for tuberculosis. We are doing background work and setting targets on research for prevention of tuberculosis,” he said
“The National Institute of Tuberculosis Research, Chennai, will start clinical trials of the new BCG vaccine for TB. One of the most promising ways of controlling TB is something called Dots therapy (directly observed treatment, short course) in which the patient takes medicine in the presence of a doctor and the therapy is continued for six to eight months and completed in the best possible way,” Dr Shekhar Mande added.
This is the second TB vaccine that the Asian country is currently working on.
Kenya launched its package of the latest health technologies to strengthen tuberculosis (TB) prevention six months ago.
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