FG, Water Reed Army Institute to seek deeper collaboration on medical research

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

The Permanent  Secretary of Ministry of Defence Dr. Ibrahim  Abubakar Kana, has called for a deeper partnership  between Nigeria and Water Reed Army Institute of the United States of America on medical research for the benefit of the Military personnel and the civilians in Nigeria.

A statement issued on Tuesday by Henshaw Ogubike, Director (Information and Public Relations), said Dr. Kana stated this when he received the leadership of Water Reed Army Institute of Research USA at the Ship House, Abuja.

The Permanent Secretary noted that the current partnership  between Water Reed Institute of Research and Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme has increased the relationship between the two countries and the the Military of both countries. “Your facility has been of a tremendous help not only to the military but to the entire nation,” he said

Speaking further, he called for more partnership in 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 said that such partnership woul work as the US was doing well in research development. “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,” Dr.  Kana said.

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 and has contributed in controlling the spread of HIV/ Tuberculosis.

In addition,the leader of the delegation of Water Reed Army Institute, 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 emphasized the significant achievements resulting from the partnership especially in the establishment of the Defence Reference Laboratory (DRL) in Abuja.