Federal Gov’t, Walter Reed Army Institute Strengthen Ties On Research Development

The federal government has strengthened partnership with the Walter Reed Army Institute of the United States of America on medical research development.

The permanent secretary of Ministry of Defence Dr Ibrahim Abubakar Kana made the commitment when he received a delegation of Walter Reed Army Institute of the United States of America at the Ship House.

A statement by the Director Information Ministry of Defence, Henshaw Ogubike said the partnership centres on medical research for the benefit of the military personnel and the civilians in Nigeria.

Dr. Kana stated that the existing partnership between Walter Reed Institute of Research and Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme has increased the relationship between the two countries and the military of both countries.

He said “Your facility has been of a tremendous help not only to the military but to the entire nation.”

The permanent secretary called for more partnership in the area of research not only in the treatment of diseases like malaria but as well as in the prevention.

“We need to work on research of vaccine to prevent malaria which is one of the killer diseases of child of age five,” he said.

He added that such partnership would work as the US was doing well in research development.

He said “I believe our stronger partnership in the area of research will help a lot and we can work actively in the aspect of malaria prevention vaccine. The Ministry will be happy to launch such a research programme.”

Earlier the director general of Ministry of Defence Health implementation Programme Brig -General Nathan Okeji (Rtd) described the support of Walter Reed Army Institute as excellent,adding that it has contributed in controlling the spread of HIV/ Tuberculosis.

The leader of the delegation Air Commodore Cownell Eli Lozano assured the permanent secretary of the deeper commitment of the United States to continue to support the existing relationship with Nigeria.

He expressed appreciation to the ministry for the support and commitment and emphasised the significant achievements resulting from the partnership especially in the establishment of the Defence Reference Laboratory (DRL) in Abuja.