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IHVN Celebrates January Employees of the Month

In fostering an excellent work culture and staff performance, the Executive Management of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has initiated the “Employee Recognition Awards” to recognize “Employees of the Month” and “Employee of the Year.”

According to the IHVN Director of Finance and Administration, Mr. Olu Alabi, this recognition covers overall employee performance in dressing, innovation, teamwork, productivity, efficiency, leadership and interpersonal skills, punctuality, and adherence to company values and principles, amongst other things.

For January 2025, IHVN Celebrates, Adebola Raji, Victoria Etuk, Teclaire Ngo- Ndomb, Collins-Kalu Derby, Bang Logams, Adeyinka Modupe Owoade, Olufemi Ogundiran, Shiedu Abdulrahman, Ismail Ahmed Tijjani and Tuamsen Shindes whose performance stood out in their teams.

Three hearty cheers to our January star performers!

Bid Advert – Supply of Medicament, Clinical Consumables and Clinical Instruments Under AF Account

The Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria is seeking bidders to bid for the Supply of Medicament, Clinical Consumables and Clinical Instruments Under AF Account.
Opening Date/ Time: 13th February 2025. 
Closing Date/ Time: 26th February 2025 @10:00am
For more on this bid, Please download the complete bid document,

IHVN to Organize World Cancer Day Road Walk

To commemorate World Cancer Day 2024, the International Research Center of Excellence (IRCE) at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) is set to organize a road walk in Piwoyi community along the airport road in Abuja on Friday, 7th February 2025.

According to IRCE NORA Project Coordinator, Ms Tope Olukomogbon,  the walk aims at “raising awareness about cancer prevention, early detection and treatment and reinforcing our collective commitment to fight against cancer.”

Ms. Olukomogbon stated that the Institute is actively engaged in high-quality cancer research to improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment outcomes.

“IHVN is engaged in research initiatives such as the Network for Oncology Research in Africa, which is a five-year research initiative focused on reducing breast and cervical cancer mortality in Africa. There is also the SHERLOCK Lung study that seeks to investigate the risk factors and progression of lung cancer in both smokers and never smokers,” she said.

She noted that the Institute remains committed to combating cancer through research, advocacy, and intervention programs.

“As the world observes World Cancer Day, 2025, our goal is to continue bringing together communities, policymakers, health care providers, and researchers in the fight against cancer,” she said.

Click here to download World Cancer Day Pamphlet

EQUAL Researchers Call for Better Working Conditions for Midwives

EQUAL Researchers at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) have called on the government and policymakers to improve the working conditions of midwives in conflict-affected areas to address poor maternal and newborn health outcomes in the country.

They made this call during a stakeholder meeting to disseminate research findings from Ensuring Quality Access and learning for Mothers and their Newborns in Conflict Affected Context (EQUAL) Consortium research focused on midwifery participation, retention, and resilience in Yobe State.

Principal Investigator of EQUAL at IHVN, Prof. Emilia Iwu stated that Nigeria has only six midwives per 10,000 people with the deficit worse in the North-East which has been affected by Boko Haram Insurgency.

Prof. Iwu who was represented at the dissemination event by EQUAL Project Co-Investigator, Dr. Charity Maina said that “conflict has caused widespread economic hardship, food insecurity, displacement of residents and health workers, and severe disruption of healthcare delivery, including the destruction and closure of some health centers. These factors have complicated efforts to recruit and retain midwives.

Initial study findings from our qualitative study underscore the need for targeted support and intervention to improve midwifery retention and support in rural and hard-to-reach communities,” she said.

The researchers highlighted the need for government and policymakers to strengthen midwifery education, improve working conditions through incentives, develop management guidelines, address misconceptions, and enhance safety training.

“The country needs to prioritize increased salaries, hazard allowances, secure transportation, and housing, and establish mentorship programs to continually support midwives in high-risk areas,” Dr. Maina stressed.

The researchers further noted the need for a clear career progression pathway for midwives and an extension of hospital postings with hands-on practice for thorough training to increase the confidence of midwives.

On security training, the researchers recommended training midwives on personal security, emergency protocols, psychological support, mental health check-ups, and peer support groups.

At the meeting, IHVN Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director, Dr. Charles Olalekan Mensah, gave the opening remarks. He welcomed participants and emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts in strengthening MNCH services

The dissemination event brought together representatives from international partners, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Yobe State Ministry of Health, amongst others to discuss research findings and share insights on the recommendations. 

EQUAL is a multi-country research consortium generating evidence on effective approaches to deliver life-saving maternal and newborn health care in countries affected by conflict. IHVN is participating in this research funded by UK Department for International Development (DFID) and led by the International Rescue Committee -IRC. Other EQUAL partners are the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and its university-wide Center for Humanitarian Health, the Somali Research and Development Institute, and Université Catholique de Bukavu (Democratic Republic of Congo). The project is aimed at identifying and filling evidence gaps that could ultimately improve policies, programming, and outcomes for mothers and newborns.