Medical research centres have received 100% allocations – Health Minister
The Minister of Health, Dr Isaac Folorunso Adewale on Thursday said all medical research centres have received their annual allocation for the year 2016 100%.
The Minister stated this in his address during the 2016 national retreat organised by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research in Abuja.
While commended the Director General of the institute for putting the retreat together, he promised to ensure medical research institutes in the country must collaborate to ensure disease control and elimination in the country.
He assured the institute that the ministry will work closely with them to achieve their research goals saying “we need to give NIRM sharp teeth to bite” harping on the importance of researching in the health sector.
“We can work together to change the trajectory of NIMR,” he assured, adding that whatever is allocated for the institute will be given to them.
“There is discipline in the present administration adding some agencies have received 100 percent of their allocation,” he said.
The Minister further pointed out that there was need to access the funds in Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), money in the private sector and a host of other agencies that can generate research funds.
“You can get some resources even from National A agency for the Control of Aids (AIDS).
In his welcome address, the Director General of NIMR, Prof. Babatunde Lawal Saraki said NIMR has capacity to conduct first class research, training and offer service as a medical institute in the area of malaria, HIV, Hepatitis, TB, hypertension, reproductive health, alternative medicine, Onchocerciasis, Molecular Biology and biotechnology.
“For example we recently concluded an anti-microbial resistance project funded by the CDC which boasts of findings that are capable of changing the national policy on HIV management,” he said.
The Minister stated this in his address during the 2016 national retreat organised by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research in Abuja.
While commended the Director General of the institute for putting the retreat together, he promised to ensure medical research institutes in the country must collaborate to ensure disease control and elimination in the country.
He assured the institute that the ministry will work closely with them to achieve their research goals saying “we need to give NIRM sharp teeth to bite” harping on the importance of researching in the health sector.
“We can work together to change the trajectory of NIMR,” he assured, adding that whatever is allocated for the institute will be given to them.
“There is discipline in the present administration adding some agencies have received 100 percent of their allocation,” he said.
The Minister further pointed out that there was need to access the funds in Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), money in the private sector and a host of other agencies that can generate research funds.
“You can get some resources even from National A agency for the Control of Aids (AIDS).
In his welcome address, the Director General of NIMR, Prof. Babatunde Lawal Saraki said NIMR has capacity to conduct first class research, training and offer service as a medical institute in the area of malaria, HIV, Hepatitis, TB, hypertension, reproductive health, alternative medicine, Onchocerciasis, Molecular Biology and biotechnology.
“For example we recently concluded an anti-microbial resistance project funded by the CDC which boasts of findings that are capable of changing the national policy on HIV management,” he said.
He added that, “Our virology and TB laboratories are not just national reference labs, the virology lab is also ISO certified while the TB lab has been upgraded to a biosafety level 3 laboratory supported by APIN/FHi360 and fully equipped to support research into multidrug resistant TB. Both laboratories are currently preparing for ISO accreditation.
“We have established a nationally recognized lab for culture of Buruli ulcer and our biotechnology lab is in the fore front of research on helicobacter pylori. “We are also in possession of a COBAS 4800 Machine perhaps one three in Nigeria for screening Human Papilloma Virus the causative agents of cervical cancer.”
The Director General however listed the challenges confronting the research centre such as “dilapidated equipment and buildings, inadequate research activities, lack of space for expansion, inadequate research staff , inappropriate career structure for research staff which sometime leads to frustration and inadequate collaboration occasioned by inadequate funding.”
Accordibg to him, “Being an aged institution, NIMR is bedeviled by issues of old age and old infrastructure. For the research institute to take its pride of place in the annals of the nation these identified challenges have to be tackled and put in the front burner by government and those of us charged with the governance of the place.”
He pointed out that significantly low research fund which is also epileptic, occasioned by research funding being treated like other capital funds is affecting the operation of yhe research cebter.
He called on the government to make research fund available and ready for use. This was the only way he said that certain meaningful research must be done to achieve result.
“Fund should be given in lump sum to the institute’s account with government and not released quarterly with uncertainty,” he urged government.
He explained that there was no significant collaboration between NIMR, the Universities and the State governments and no evidence of private sector participation in funding. In the last 5 years the research funding to NIMR cannot be described as adequate and has not done much compared with funding received from government by similar institutes around the world, he said.
In his goodwill message, The DG NACA Dr Sani Aliyu, commended the leadership of NIMR for the role being played in the development of research in the medical sector assuring that NACA will work with the institute.
Also speaking during his goodwill messagr, Dr chikwe Ihekweazu, the Director General of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) urged collaboration among all research institutes saying research was the beginning of a new journey for the health sector.
On his part, the Director General of National health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Prof Usman Yusuf, said that no one section of the health sector can move forward without the collaboration of others.
He said that the agency has the potential to make changes in the live of people. “We are keenly aware of the current economic situation but money is not the guarantee. Research is the foundation of any health sector, he said.
He called for the formulation of research agenda that will drive the health sector, pointing out that it will be important if an agenda is set for the international agencies on areas the institute or sector want them to contribute towards.
