Tag: Nigeria

NIMR unveils foundation for local medical research, production

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NIGERIA – The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) has established a Foundation, with the objectives to uplift the development and production of home-grown medicines, vaccines and technological innovations. These innovations will greatly assist in addressing the health problems of Nigeria in particular, and Africa at large. The NIMR Foundation Governing Board executives categorically stated that the foundation will prioritize development and implementation of mechanisms to elevate research, innovation and products/services development in healthcare. This foundation will function as a viable business which can address human suffering in form of…

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Top leaders rally US$23M funding drive for Nigeria’s medical research

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NIGERIA – Former Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, and former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Muhammad Sanusi II, have volunteered to mobilize stakeholders to raise a seed fund of US$23.34 million (N10 billion) for the development of impactful medical research outputs in the country. The duo made the commitment at a public presentation of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) Foundation citing concern over the funding challenge facing researchers’ efforts to develop homegrown impactful research works. These funds will enable researchers conduct studies that will primarily…

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Nigeria’s pharma market battling recession despite being the continental manufacturing hub

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NIGERIA – Nigeria, the country which hosts 60 percent of the pharmaceutical production capacity in Africa, is reported to experience a recess in growth, with the market currently estimated at US$1.5 billion to US$2.5 billion. The African pharmaceutical market is projected to grow between US$60 billion to US$70 billion after COVID-19, this is according to researchers under the Pharmaceutical Subsector Thematic Group of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, Research and Development Standing Committee, RDSC. Lead Presenter of the group and Director General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research…

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Nigerian doctors call off 2-month strike despite pay arrears

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NIGERIA – Doctors in Nigeria’s government hospitals have suspended a two-month strike for payment of salaries owed to many and improved working conditions. The resident doctors, the mainstay of health care at government hospitals throughout the West African country, said they will resume work after they “achieved some positive results” in talks with the government, Dr. Dare Ishaya, president of the National Association of Resident Doctors, said. Although members owed salary arrears are beginning to get paid, some key demands that led to the strike have still not been addressed,…

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GE Healthcare, partners, strengthen cancer care in West Africa with latest solutions

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NIGERIA – As part of its ongoing commitment to providing quality healthcare to Sub Saharan Africa, GE Healthcare has presented its cutting-edge technologies to increase accessibility and provide clinicians with faster access to information and help increase the quality of care, particularly in the field of oncology. GE Healthcare, the US$18 billion healthcare business of GE, and a leading global medical technology and digital solutions innovator, made this announcement during the ARCON conference held in Nigeria. In Nigeria, cancer leads to approximately 72,000 deaths every year. It is estimated that…

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World Bank approves financing to improve women and girl’s access to health in Niger

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NIGERIA – The Nigerien government will be able to provide its population with better health coverage with financing approved by the World Bank. This will be enabled by a 15-year multiphase program to innovative and comprehensive nutrition and health interventions to improve health system efficiency, equity, and sustainability, as well as boost girls’ and women’s empowerment. Niger’s health system faces immense challenges. Despite progress in recent years, the country has a high under-five mortality rate of 77 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2020 and stunting continues to have devastating…

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African genomic startup 54gene raises US$25 million to expand precision medicine capabilities

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NIGERIA – Since launching in 2019, African genomics startup 54gene has been at the forefront of bridging the divide in the global genomics market to which it has received a huge boost having secured US$25 million in Series B funding to bolster its efforts. Less than 3% of genetic material used in global pharmaceutical research is from Africa. The staggering gap is quite surprising because Africans and people of African descent are reported to be more genetically diverse than any other population. This round comes a year after the company,…

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Nigeria cholera outbreak claims more lives as death toll tops 2,300

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NIGERIA – Nigeria is seeing one of its worst cholera outbreaks in years, with more than 2,300 people dying from suspected cases as Africa’s most populous country struggles to deal with multiple disease outbreaks. This year’s cholera outbreak, with a higher case fatality rate than the previous four years, is worsened by what many consider to be a bigger priority for state governments: the COVID-19 pandemic. Nigeria faces a resurgence of cases driven by the Delta variant, and less than 1% of the population has been fully vaccinated. At least…

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Zalgen Labs announces contract with CEPI for Lassa Fever study in West Africa

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NIGERIA – Zalgen Labs has inked a three-year contract with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to provide its antibody testing kits for a study to assess the incidence of Lassa fever infections in West Africa. Under the terms of the contract, Zalgen will supply its Lassa fever antibody testing kits (ReLASV Pan-Lassa NP IgG ELISA) to CEPI’s Enable study partners in Benin, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, to test up to 7,000 participants for Lassa fever antibodies, specifically the anti-Lassa virus nucleoprotein human immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies.…

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Stakeholders chart path on Nigeria’s vaccine policy with keen focus on local manufacture

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NIGERIA – The ministry of health in conjunction with local and international partners has convened a 2-day Stakeholders’ Validation Meeting bringing together experts to plot on Nigeria’s quest to attain success and self-sufficiency in local vaccine production. The event which kicked off on Monday, 6 September, 2021 brings together experts from different sections of the nation’s health industry as well as representatives of international development agencies such as the WHO, UNICEF, USAID, Bloom Public Health and CHAI. Welcoming guests, Director, Food and Drugs Department of the Federal Ministry of Health,…

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