USA and Nigeria partners in medical research on HWN EBOLA UPDATE

Nigeria and United States of America (USA) military on thursday commenced collaboration in medical research on a test study of the Ebola vaccine in Abuja.

The launch of the Vaccine Study Centre coincided with the 10 years anniversary of partnership between the Ministry of Defence, Health Implementation Programme (MODHIP) and the United States Department of Defence, Walter Reed Programme-Nigeria (USDOD WRP-N).

United States Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle said the US-Nigeria partnership is working with pharmaceutical companies to prepare to test vaccine candidates in Abuja, as part of an international network through the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research's Military HIV Programme.

Minister of Defence, retired General Aliyu Gusau represented by the Minister of State for Defence, retired Colonel Austin Akobundu said the effort to commence vaccine trial against Ebola is a welcome development.

Minister of Health, Khaliru Alhassan, represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Linus Awute stated that there is need for all hands to be on deck to bridge the gap of knowledge, health infrastructure and diseases surveillance between the developed and the developing countries.