The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria has commissioned a state-of-the-art IHVN Campus to provide quality health services, capacity building, and research in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event in Abuja on Tuesday, the Chief Executive Director of IHVN, Dr Patrick Dakum, said the campus would also provide health service implementation, capacity building, and research as well as ensure equitable access to quality health services through innovative and evidence-based services.
“The institute provides world-class laboratories like a biorepository with liquid nitrogen facilities, a genomics resource centre, clinical pathology, molecular diagnostics, chemistry and haematology, and microbiology laboratories.
“It also hosts a Clinical Trials Unit, which will be a home for conducting clinical trials that specifically state how vaccines or drugs work in our population and the adverse effects observed,” Dakum said.
Dakum noted that the Programme Implementation Centre focused on the implementation of public health projects and grants funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USAID, Global Fund, World Bank, amongst others.
“These projects provide HIV and TB prevention, care, and treatment services and nutrition services in more than 20 states in the country,” he added.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of IHVN, Professor Emeritus Umaru Shehu, said accessing quality healthcare delivery required the intervention of our people, communities, governments at various levels, and international partners to improve the quality of healthcare services.
“So, the commissioning of the IHVN Campus gives us hope that we can curb today’s emerging diseases of public health concern. I feel fulfilled because I have been a witness and participant in Nigeria’s efforts at stopping epidemics like Smallpox, Polio, Ebola, HIV, and COVID-19, so this is a major contribution to Nigeria’s healthcare efforts.
“Other things being equal, I predict that with facilities such as the ones you find on this campus, Nigeria will soon become the destination for medical tourism, clinical diagnostics, treatment, and care for people with infectious and non-infectious diseases.
