Diversity Stays Back Home

Fikayo Oyewale 

Several thousand years ago,
Humans migrated from home, Africa.
Today, with genetic diversity greater than the rest of the world
African genomes can unlock healthcare for all
So with better understanding of diseases
So with more efficacious drugs. 

Black-white crafted to denigrate
Never seen a black or white human
Skin colours span ebony to ivory
Skin colour is an adaptation to the environment
Darker skins nearer the equator
Lighter skins farther from the centre 

Enmeshed within the tropics and sub-tropics
With mangroves, rainforest and deserts
Microbial diversity remains abundant, infinite
Hence, Happi oft says:
Oh that Africa may exploit her rich pathogen diversity
And export diagnostics, drugs and solutions to the world! 

The Science

Past and recent research show that Africa is the hub of climatic, cultural, genetic, and even microbial diversity. Most complex disease genomic studies utilise samples from individuals with European ancestry, which do not capture the genetic diversity that influence cell functions. Among others, the 1000 Genome Project, which provides a comprehensive description of common human genetic variation, shows that individuals with African ancestry show greater diversity than those from any other continent. Understanding the genetic and pathogenic diversity in Africa portends immense potential in revolutionising healthcare for all of humanity. The difference in skin colours reflect proximity to the equator, among other factors.

The Poet

Fikayo Oyewale is a Nigerian science communicator. He is passionate about connecting science and society, especially within the African context. He believes that Africans should tell the stories of science, research, and innovation from Africa. While he has written several unpublished poems, this is his first work connecting science and poetry.

Next poem: Evolutionary Landscapes by Chris Checkwitch