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The International Research Center of Excellence (IRCE) at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has met with community-based organizations to discuss the BRILLIANT HIV Vaccine Consortium project.

The BRILLIANT Project is funded by USAID and seeks to spearhead HIV vaccine development, and conduct pre-clinical studies to determine promising vaccines and finally conduct clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of vaccines in humans. The project runs from 2023-2029 in Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, and South Africa.

At the meeting, the community stakeholders in Abuja, the Nigerian Project’s Principal Investigator, and IRCE Executive Director, Prof. Alash’le Abimiku stressed the need for accurate information dissemination about HIV Vaccines.  She said that Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) have a role to play in advocating for HIV prevention strategies such as abstinence and safer sex practices.

The Principal Investigator elaborated that the project has a multi-phasic approach from Phase 1 to Phase 4 starting with low-risk populations as initial participants to test safety and immunogenicity, and progressively and extending to high-risk populations in subsequent phases to assess how well the vaccine protects against infection.

She indicated that the prevalent HIV subtypes in West Africa, which is sub-type G and CRF02 recombinant, will be considered during the development of the vaccine candidates.

The meeting was also to assess the capacity and organizational structure of the community-based organizations for partnership while establishing pathways for the implementation of additional activities emerging from the BRILLIANT consortium.

The Country Lead for the Community Engagement Advocacy and Communications (CEAC) Workstream, Mr. Musa Aminu, guided the community-based organizations through strategic approaches aimed at enhancing community engagement and effective science communication. He explained that strategic approaches to be identified include, mobilization of gatekeepers, and creation of communication materials in local languages, including resources adapted from the broader consortium CEAC.

The six (6) CBOs present included the International Centre for Advocacy on Rights to Health (ICARH), Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in NIGERIA (NEPHWAN), Catholic Action Committee on HIV/AIDS (CACA), AFRIhealth Optonet Association (AHOA), Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI), and Jomurota Community Care Initiative (JCCI). Each CBO provided an overview of their history in HIV prevention programs and clinical trials, enabling the BRILLIANT study team to inquire about their experiences, capacities, and the specific populations targeted for the BRILLIANT study.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Distinguished Senator Ipalibo Harry-Banigo has expressed her commitment to using data on stillbirths in Nigeria to advocate for and enforce forward-thinking policies to positively shape the future of maternal and child health care in Nigeria.

Senator Harry-Banigo stated this at an event hosted by the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) to launch a still-births dashboard developed and published on the Federal Ministry of Health website by the Improving Nigeria’s Capacity to Use Data of Registered Stillbirths for Decision Making Project (SPEED Project) implemented by the International Research Center of Excellence (IRCE) at IHVN.

She revealed her delight in partnering with IHVN to use registered stillbirth data in Nigeria for decision-making.

“The dashboard is a vital resource for decision makers to strategically respond to still-birth needs and trends with precise interventions. Every baby deserves a chance to life. Every baby has a destiny to fulfill, that is why we are here to support this wonderful initiative,” she said.

Senator Harry-Banigo added that she would utilize her oversight duties to ask the necessary questions for stillbirths to be prevented. “Together we can embark on this journey. It is a multi-sectoral project that will involve communities,” she said.

Also speaking at the event, SPEED Principal Investigator, Ms Oghome Emembo said that the project utilized quantitative data from 2014-2023 on the FMoH DHIS database from Primary Health Centers across the country.

Findings from the data analysis revealed that Nigeria’s stillbirth rate is currently twice the expected target per Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP) global target of 12/1000 total births by 2030. It also showed that the majority of reported stillbirth occurrences are in the Northwestern part of Nigeria with high rates in Zamfara, Sokoto, and Kano States. Additionally, only Ogun and Osun states have achieved a stillbirth rate below the 12/1000 total births in Nigeria.

Ms Emembo urged states to act immediately to address stillbirths in Nigeria. “Approach the issue with a learning strategy. There has to be consultation, knowledge transfer, and learning from Osun and Ogun states. There are reasons why the rates there are much better,” she said.

Officials from FMOH, the National Primary Health Development Agency (NPHCDA), the World Health Organization, and Civil Society Organizations gave remarks on action plans in utilizing the analyzed data to prevent stillbirths in health facilities and communities.  

Co-Implementing partners of Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health programs, stakeholders, and the media also attended the launch which held at the IHVN Campus in Abuja.

SPEED Project is funded by Vital Strategies Inc – Bloomberg Philanthropies Data 4 Health Initiative. It is tasked with collaborating with FMOH to translate stillbirths data for policy impact. One of the outputs of the project is to publish a stillbirths dashboard on the FMOH website as a Digital Analytics and Visualization tool to improve visibility and accessibility to stillbirth data for decision-making.

The International Research Center of Excellence (IRCE) at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has partnered with The Young Missionary Movement (YOMM) of Nigeria to launch an initiative to equip young people from the 36 states of Nigeria with vital data science skills to advocate for HIV and COVID-19 prevention and management.

The event was part of community engagement activities under the INFORM Africa project and was themed, “Youth Data Science Champions: Empowering Young Leaders on the Importance of Data Science.” About 500 youths participated in the program which was held at Christ the King College in Gwagwalada. It featured a drama presentation, talks, and discussions.

Young Missionary Movement of Nigeria (YOMM) Lead Dr. Peter Adubi emphasized the event’s focus on empowering youth through data science education. The INFORM Africa Project leveraged on the YOMM annual National Youth Cultural Congress.

The feedback from the young people was overwhelmingly positive. Esene Anita appreciated the event’s storytelling aspect, which demonstrated how data can help control infections and aid government preparedness for future pandemics. Tersoo Ikpah, another participant said that the “Data Science and Visualization” workshop has taught how to effectively communicate data insights and create engaging narratives on health issues like HIV and COVID-19.

IHVN INFORM Research Hub Assistant Mrs. Adeola Ann Nicholas explained that the INFORM Africa Project aims to lay the groundwork for improved pandemic surveillance and response across Africa, particularly by exploring the interactions between COVID-19 and HIV.

Mrs. Nicholas said the project brings together a diverse team of experts in data science, epidemiology, geospatial statistics, and bioinformatics.

 “This team will focus on research projects that investigate the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and HIV-1 in Nigeria and South Africa. Key goals include establishing comprehensive data streams, developing geospatial tools for pandemic surveillance, and expanding data science capacity to enhance public health outcomes,” she said.

The Dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Prof Mark T. Gladwin, has praised the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) for its achievements in HIV prevention, treatment, and care in Nigeria.

In a message to the University of Maryland School of Medicine community, the Dean stated that he was particularly impressed with IHVN which is led by shared faculty members: Patrick Dakum, Chief Executive Officer, and Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology & Public Health; Charles Mensah,  Chief Operating Officer; and Alash’le Abimiku, Professor in the Department of Medicine and Executive Director of the International Research Center of Excellence (IRCE).

“IHVN has partnered with the University of Maryland’s Institute of Human Virology to screen more than 8 million people in Africa. We currently have 300,000 patients on active therapy in Nigeria alone. We visited sickle cell and oncology programs and discussed how we can leverage our 25 years of partnership with Nigeria to extend our collaborations in hopes of addressing the ‘epidemics’ of non-communicable diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and sickle cell anemia,” he said.

Prof Gladwin visited Nigeria and participated in the International Research Center of Excellence (IRCE) 2^nd Annual Scientific Symposium. He also visited government officials, the Hon Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, leaders of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, and the University of Abuja.

For more information on the Dean’s message, visit Dean’s Message | September 4, 2024 (constantcontact.com)

The Executive Director of the International Research Centre of Excellence (IRCE), Prof. Alash’le Abimiku is scheduled to participate in the Science Summit at the 79^th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 79) on 13^th September 2024.

Prof Abimiku will be serving as a panelist in a session, titled “Exploring Novel Solutions for Tracking and Adapting to the Health Impacts of Climate Change in Resource-Constrained Settings” which will focus on addressing the health challenges posed by climate change, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, and the innovative approaches required to respond to the crisis.

A press statement shared by the UNGA 79 Science Summit organizers revealed that the session will examine the critical intersections between climate change and health, with a special focus on vulnerable populations.

 “Notable topics will include climate change’s effects on maternal and child health, the role of data science in monitoring, treating, and preventing health impact, and the importance of global collaboration in implementing effective national adaptation strategies,” the statement said.

“Prof Abimiku will join experts including, Anayda Portela from the World Health Organization (WHO), Brad Newsome from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Ijeoma Solarin from Wits Planetary Health Research, and Chenfeng Xiong from Villanova University to discuss strategies for climate adaptation and financing mechanisms to support the health sector response to the Climate Crisis,” the statement said.

This session will also showcase how research, data, and international collaboration can accelerate climate action and protect the health of vulnerable communities.

For more information and to register for the event, please check https://sciencesummitunga.com/