Platform for rapid immunological characterization of SARS CoV-2 variants in Kenya and the Eastern Africa Region

A network of hospitals and labs across Kenya and Eastern Africa will track how well existing antibodies—from vaccines and past infections—still neutralise new SARS-CoV-2 variants as they emerge. This matters because most variant surveillance in Africa has focused on genomics—spotting new mutations in viral genetic sequences—but has not kept pace with the functional consequences: whether those mutations actually let the virus evade immune defences. Without that immunological data, public health officials cannot predict whether a new variant will render current vaccines less effective, or whether booster campaigns need to be redesigned. If the platform succeeds, it will produce directly actionable health intelligence. When a concerning variant appears, the network can quickly tell policymakers whether antibody neutralisation has dropped, and by how much. This allows targeted adjustments to vaccine strategies, travel advisories, and public health measures—reducing both health harms and economic disruption from blunt, blanket restrictions. The project also includes a monoclonal antibody discovery pipeline, which could yield new therapeutic antibodies that work against multiple variants, strengthening the region’s preparedness for future outbreaks.