ECOWAS opens Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control in Abuja. Nigeria ranked 11th highest on newborn deaths —UNICEF Report. National Hospital receives second cancer treatment machine. Meningitis kills four in Niger. Nigerian govt., medical doctors disagree on implementation of National Health Act. NACA Thumbs up Bayelsa for Establishing AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria Research Centre. Okowa launches health insurance scheme. Health Insurance Scheme: Kwara prepares residents for take off. Workers’ strike grounds Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu. ‘Goals of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’.
Thank you for your top article ‘ Lessons from Kenya: from Research to Nation Building’.
As a Veterinarian and One Health Advocate/Promoter in Nigeria, I am perplexed and worried at the present state o virtual non animal vaccine production at Nigeria’s National Veterinary Research Institute NVRI and the non-confirmation of the appointment of the acting Executive Director who has been acting since 2015. As confirmed by a Researcher in the Institution last year, even the equipment bought by Prof. Lami Lombin, former Executive Director of NVRI from 2001 to 2010 to boost vaccine production, is still languishing in the Institute, as there is no money to install them (https://guardian.ng/saturday-magazine/cover/lack-of-fund-is-crippling-production-of-local-vaccines-in-nigeria/). National Veterinary Research Institute produces 17 animal vaccines and 8 EthnoVeterinary products (http://www.nvri.gov.ng/History.html) but as of now, virtually produce no vaccine, to the extend that a private marketing Company Propcom Mai-karfi (PM) is proposing a vaccine production and distribution development programme (http://www.propcommaikarfi.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Call-for-Proposal-Feasibility-Assessment-of-NVRI-Vaccine-Production-Facility-2.pdf).
Also, it is gladdening that the NCDC is adopting the successful Kenya Zoonotic Disease Unit (http://zdukenya.org/about-zdu/) One Health approach to institutionalize One Health in Nigeria after futile efforts since 2011.
On the other hand, when I was engaged by Dr Lora Davis as Veterinary Consultant under the CDC Animal : Human Interface Program, with assigned task of reviewing the then NFELTP Veterinary Track Curriculum to a One Health Curriculum, during my 2011-2012 Sabbatical Leave, it was the Kenya NFELTP that was the first to come to Nigeria to adopt the Report of the reviewed Veterinary Medicine to One Health Curriculum!
While we affirm that Kenya has gone well ahead of Nigeria in many health related matters, it will be in the Spirit of One Health to continue on mutual collaboration and partnership beneficiary to either and/or both Nations.
Regards
Babalobi, Olutayo Olajide (DVM, MPVM, PhD; FCVSN).
E-mail: tayobabalobi@gmail.com
GSM Nos. : +234-816-753-8536; +234-805-530-1991.
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