SARS-CoV-2 has been less severe in most sub-Saharan African countries than in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Population seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies has risen extensively over the three COVID-19 epidemic waves, to over >70% in some countries. In spite of low COVID-19 vaccine coverage in most sub-Saharan African countries, the Omicron VOC has resulted in rapid spread but less severe disease and death
Presenter
Dr Kondwani Jambo is a Group Leader based at the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme (MLW). His research focuses on infection and immunity relevant to populations in low-middle income settings. He holds a Master of Science degree in Human Immunity (2006) and a PhD in Immunology (2010), from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom. He underwent postdoctoral training at the MLW and Cornell University (USA). He is a previous recipient of the prestigious Wellcome Intermediate Fellowship (2015) and current recipient of the MRC African Research Leader award (2020). Dr Jambo is the current president of the Immunology Society of Malawi.
Moderator
Clive Gray is Professor of Immunology and Chair, Division of Immunology in the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town. He is also visiting professor in the Department of Immunology, Duke University. He is vice-chair of the IUIS Education Committee and Secretary General of the Federation of African Immunology Societies. He has worked in HIV immunology for over twenty years and is passionate about building immunology capacity in Africa. He is director of the Immunopaedia Foundation and runs the award winning on-line immunology education and teaching immunopaedia platform. He has trained in excess of 500 students around Africa over the past 10 years.