10 Sep 2024

The laboratory work that include pathogen genomics, virology and immunology that Botswana Harvard Health Partnership (BHP) attained has catapulted BHP to a global status where it is recognised for its high-impact and high quality health research that has changed numerous WHO, UNIAIDS and US/European guidelines.

Launching BHP scientific research week in Gaborone on Monday, BHP chief executive officer, Dr Joseph Makhema said the lab had become an important node in a network of African research institutions that advance health science and policy around the world.

He said the lab in Gaborone was a scientific centre of excellence, prioritising training local and regional scientists and developing professionals. He further pointed out that BHP was Botswana’s leading health research, training and capacity building institution heralding from sentinel research on various laboratory and clinical topics including HVI/AIDS, tuberculosis, sexual transmitted infections, hepatitis, HPV, malignancies various emergent public health challenges, non communicable diseases and climate change, including other new public health challenges.

The BHP scientific research week will showcase different research areas, including prevention of mother to child HIV transmission and breast feeding, and the show will be held at main mall until Friday.

“The celebratory week will showcase what we had been doing for the past 28 years as well as reboot and reconfiguring scientific direction for the next five years” said Dr Makhema

The week will be held under the theme: Harnessing Strong Collaborations for Innovative Health Research. Dr Makhema said the research outputs represented a testament to the hard work, collaboration and dedication to be a world renowned public health institute.

Sharing the same sentiments, BHP Board Chair, Professor Roger Shapiro alluded that from the onset, BHP had been a leader in Botswana’s efforts to combat the HIV epidemic and other infectious disease challenges.

He said BHP worked closely with Ministry of Health, performing the clinical trials and laboratory research that were important in the country.

“BHP pitches in when there is a crisis, from HIV to COVID-19 epidemic,” said Prof Shapiro further explaining that BHP operated at the cutting edge of laboratory science and offered training opportunities.

He highlighted that within the 28 years of partnership with international community, they had trained over 34 masters and PHD students, adding that the 88 grants and projects at BHP were now led by scientists from Botswana.

“These scientist are tapping into international grant funding opportunities and bringing those resources into Botswana,” he said. He further pointed out that in the past year, over 60 per cent of the scientific publications from BHP were led by a scientist from Botswana.ENDS