The Director of the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), Professor Gordon Awandare has called on Parliament to as a matter of urgency pass the Ghana Research Fund Bill.
He said the outbreak of the Coronavirus disease indicates the need for the passage of the Bill.
The Ghana Research Fund Bill is aimed at establishing a National Research Fund to provide funds for national research in tertiary and research institutions.
The Bill also seeks to provide financial resources to support promote and publicize research, technology generation and innovation in the tertiary and research institutions.
Speaking to Citi News, Professor Gordon Awandare said the time has come for the Bill to be passed.
“This has been talked about for over 20 years. Every government talks about it but fail to deliver. This crisis is a wake-up call to us that we need to move forward with strengthening science and supporting research on a more consistent basis.”
He explained that just like the GETFund, some money will be allocated to science and research at an ongoing basis rather than waiting for periods of crisis before searching for funds.
Coronavirus in Ghana
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.
The COVID-19 virus affects different people in different ways. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease and most infected people will develop mild to moderate symptoms and recover without requiring special treatment.
People who have underlying medical conditions and those over 60 years old have a higher risk of developing severe disease and death.
As of April 19, 2020, 20:00GMT, Ghana has a record of 834 confirmed cases, 9 deaths, 99 recovered cases and 726 active cases.