Pinoy doc gets P64-M grant for dengue research

MANILA, Philippines – A local infectious disease specialist who has developed a breakthrough diagnostic technology for dengue fever was awarded a P64-million grant by the United Kingdom to advance his research to the next level.

Dr. Raul Destura, who has developed an affordable kit that can diagnose dengue fever in just 40 minutes, said he was excited to start on the quest for the “holy grail” of dengue research.

Destura, who works for the University of the Philippines-Manila National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, is one of the awardees of the UK Philippines Joint Health Research Grant on Infectious Diseases.

The award allows him to pursue his proposal on “Triple D Targets: The UK-Philippines Dengue Diagnostic and Drug Targets Research Consortium” in collaboration with the University of Bristol.

Destura told The STAR that his research could save Filipinos the trouble and financial burden of dealing with dengue cases, noting that possible victims are confined in hospital for days.

Eventually, he said, dengue can be managed or cured at home “with bed rest, paracetamol and fluids.”

Destura explained that this would translate into huge savings for a dengue fever patient, since it would spare him from spending for hospital confinement.

The UK government has awarded over P274 million in  grants to Filipinos in doing research and post-graduate studies on health, energy, food security, rapid urbanization and innovation capacity.

The grant aims to contribute to the social and economic development of the Philippines.

The partnership has been re-branded as the Newton Agham Program and will support UK and Philippine research institutions in six three-year research collaborations on infectious diseases and individual grants.

“These grants demonstrate the collaboration between science and innovation funding agencies and the new links made between UK and Philippine researchers. We look forward to the innovations that emerge from these partnerships and the application of expert knowledge to improve the lives of people in the Philippines,” British Ambassador Asif Ahmad said.