The Kenyan Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has, in partnership with Terik Essential Programs Agency for Development (TEPAD), created a deworming porridge which formed part of an initiative of the Terik Community’s schools. The product, Ujiplus, is a porridge consisting of herbal deworming properties derived from the community’s traditional herbal practices.
The community sought to partner with KEMRI, in order to obtain support in the scientific formulation and clinical trials of Ujiplus. KEMRI carried out safety studies as well as the clinical trials, which led to the approval and licensing of the product for use in Kenya as a supplement to national schools deworming programmes.
With the assistance of TEPAD, a non-profit organisation, the community received funding from the Canadian Government and the Africa Academy of Science to confirm the safety, efficacy, and market potential of Ujiplus. TEPAD project coordinator, Elisha Abwao, indicated that the project had registered a company, Terik Foods Ltd, with the view of mass producing the Ujiplus product and other value-added products and that community members will be invited to apply for shares in Terik Foods Ltd, once it is in business. Abwao also assured members of the community that the intellectual property rights vesting in the innovation is sufficiently protected, as a patent has already been filed for the Ujiplus product with the Kenya Intellectual Property Institute.
