The federal government has expressed committment to improved domestic research for innovative local manufacturing of medicines and vaccines in the country.
Special adviser to the president on health, Dr. Salma Anas-Kolo, disclosed this at a webinar themed: “Expediting Local Vaccines Manufacturing in Nigeria: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects,” organised by the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) with the support of the European Union and the Bulgarian government in Abuja.
She said; “One of the pillars of Mr President in delivering renewed hope for Nigerians in the health sector is improving and increasing domestic research to support innovative local manufacturing of medicine, technology and vaccines to achieve equity and quality health services for all.
“The federal government planS to work with the stakeholders, encourage and fund local research for new drugs, vaccines and disease epidemiology, determining best approaches to disease management within our local context.
the director-general of NIPRD, Dr. Obi Adigwe, said the need to build local vaccines capacity to address health issues in the country was proven right by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He reiterated that there are huge opportunities for local vaccines manufacturing in the country and that “the development of a sustainable ecosystem in terms of research, business and policy making will support the success of vibrant local manufacturing entities in Nigeria and across Africa.”
In her remarks, the EU ambassador, Samuella Isopi, represented by Professor Leila Ben Amor, said the EU was committed to the initiative of creating an enabling environment for local pharmaceuticals’ manufacturing in Nigeria.
She indicated that the collaboration between NIPRD, the EU and the Bulgarian government seeks to complement the efforts of the Nigerian government by bridging the gap between research and industries in the pharmaceutical sector.
She announced the G-20’s one billion Euros funding from the EU and the World Bank to support the equitable access to effective quality, safe and affordable vaccines, medicines and health technologies in Africa.
Bulgarian Ambassador to Nigeria, Yanko Yordanov, said the project provided an added value in terms of capacity building for not only Nigeria but other countries across Africa.
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