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Picture above: IHVN Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Patrick Dakum, addressing journalists flanked by Executive Director of the International Research Center of Excellence (IRCE), Prof. Alash’le Abimiku and IHVN Chief Operating Officer/Managing Director, Dr. Charles Olalekan Mensah.

The Chief Executive Officer of Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), Dr. Patrick Dakum, has said that the Institute’s seven story towers in Abuja will provide a platform for global and local partnerships to combat diseases.
Dr Dakum stated this at a press briefing in Abuja to announce the commissioning of the IHVN Campus scheduled to hold on June 5th and 6th, 2023.
“For over 19 years since our establishment as a non-governmental organization, we have addressed the HIV crisis in Nigeria by developing infrastructure for treatment, care, prevention, and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. We have over time expanded our services to cover other communicable and non-communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, cancer, COVID-19 and other emerging diseases. In 2015, we established the International Research Center of Excellence to promote public/private partnerships for quality health services, capacity building and research in West Africa.”
Also speaking at the event, the Executive Director of the Institute’s International Research Center of Excellence (IRCE), Prof. Alash’le Abimiku, said that IRCE has conducted targeted research relevant to the challenges faced locally.
“The research we do must inform better management of diseases in the populations we serve. First of all, we have to understand the peculiarities of these diseases within the population. Through our Clinical Trial Unit, we can conduct clinical trials that specifically state how vaccines or drugs work in our population and the adverse effects observed. That information goes to policy makers and the government,” she said.
She added that IRCE is also supporting the government in the areas of epidemic preparedness. “Some of the research that we have done and are still doing just like in Long-COVID is to understand how we react to pandemics so that we are better prepared for the next pandemic.”
The IHVN Campus hosts laboratories including a bio-repository to collect, process and store samples for research.
IHVN Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director, Dr. Charles Olalekan Mensah added that with the first phase of the campus completed, the Institute is working towards completion of the second and third phase, which includes a multi-level car park, conference center and residential hotel.

To mark the 2023 Childhood Tuberculosis National Testing Week, the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has provided free integrated health screening in schools, orphanages, destitute homes and correctional centers in Ogun, Osun, Oyo and Lagos States.
The awareness and screening activity was held in communities as well as immunization and nutrition clinics in both public and private health facilities. More than 40,000 children were screened, out of which 105 children with tuberculosis were identified and linked to care.
IHVN Chief of Party, USAID TB-LON 3 project, Dr. Aderonke Agbaje, said that the focus on children during the testing week is because, “Children are change agents and should be engaged in the fight against tuberculosis.”
In preparation for the week, the Institute had partnered with Breakthrough ACTION Nigeria to educate health reporters about tuberculosis and the need for improved awareness about the disease.
Low index of suspicion amongst mothers and child caregivers remains a major risk factor to the diagnosis and treatment of childhood TB. The TB-LON 3 School Health Club launch is one of the Institute’s responses to increase TB awareness amongst this cohort. Students, teachers and parents were decorated as TB ambassadors and charged with a duty to further drive the message of TB to their families and in the community at large.
The USAID TB-LON 3 project is a five-year project being implemented by IHVN with funding from the United States Agency for International Development. The goal of the Project is to innovatively engage all stakeholders in finding missing Tuberculosis (TB) cases by rapidly scaling up tuberculosis services, whilst strengthening resilient and sustainable systems for tuberculosis control.

Picture above: IHVN campus in Abuja.

The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) is to officially launch its state-of-the-art multi-campus of excellence in public healthcare, treatment training, and research to bring quality health services within the reach of millions of Nigerians.

The IHVN Campus, located on Plot 62, Emeritus Umaru Shehu Avenue, Cadastral Zone, COO, Abuja, is a combination of leasable office buildings, clinical laboratories for diagnosis, research, and training, functional clinic spaces for patient care and clinical trials, bio-specimen repositories for storage and management of bio-specimens, multi-media lecture auditoriums and meeting rooms and offices.

The event, which will take place on June 6, will be preceded by a scientific seminar on addressing local health challenges through quality research and partnership. The seminar will bring together key scientists and public-private stakeholders in the health sector with Professor Robert Gallo, Director, Institute of Human Virology, Baltimore USA; Professor Alash’le Abimiku, Executive Director, International Research Center of Excellence (IRCE), and Dr. Ifedayo Morayo Adetifa, Director General of Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC) as the main speakers.

As an internationally recognized local and nonprofit organization, IHVN is structured to develop and maintain linkages with other local and international organizations, in collaborative ways that support the Government of Nigeria’s health sector strategic plans. IHVN focuses on the prevention, treatment, and management of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria, COVID-19, Cancer, and other infectious and non-infectious diseases.

Speaking about the development, the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Human Virology of Nigeria, Dr. Patrick Dakum, says “The commissioning of the IHVN Campus demonstrates the Institute’s commitment as a leader in providing health service implementation, capacity building, research and ensuring equitable access to quality healthcare services through innovative and evidence-based strategies.” Dr. Dakum also says that with its two centers now on campus: the Program Implementation Center (PIC) and the International Research Center of Excellence, the Institute will continue to develop training and expertise for the sustainability of HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria, and Cancer programs.

The commissioning of the IHVN Campus is expected to revolutionize the fight against emerging infectious and non-infectious diseases in Nigeria and the African Continent.

The International Research Center of Excellence (IRCE) is a Center of Excellence established in 2015 by the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) to promote public/private partnership for quality health services, capacity building and research in West Africa. The actualization of IRCE epitomizes the vision of IHVN and its prime position as leader in providing quality health services, capacity building and health-related research in West Africa.

One of IRCE’s key objectives is to provide training and engage new researchers in its mentorship program. IRCE is one of the three centers of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN).
With the establishment of IRCE, the Institute sees a future in which scientists are nurtured and provided world-class infrastructure to research collaboratively on diseases of relevance to the local community such as HIV, TB, malaria, cancer, non-communicable diseases and emerging infectious diseases.

IRCE-IHVN with funding support from the World Health Organization (WHO) – Tropical Disease Research (TDR) will be offering a 4-Day intensive training on Statistical analysis using ‘R’. The statistical analysis training will follow an applied learning model designed with practical hands-on sessions. This training aims to provide those involved in data analysis for research purposes with the requisite practical statistical analysis skills needed to convert data into meaningful information via the use of ‘R’ statistical tools.

Training facilitators will include Biostatisticians from notable institutions in Luxembourg and Kenya with numerous years of experience. Following the completion of the training, participants will be able to:
– Develop Statistical Analysis Plan (SAP)
– Understand sample size and power calculations
– Understand different study designs
– Perform data exploration, correlation and plots in ‘R’
– Perform parametric and non-parametric test in ‘R’
– Perform analysis of continuous and categorical data in ‘R’.
– Estimate measures of effect in epidemiology (odds and risk ratios).
– Perform analysis of rates, ratios, and proportions
– Perform critical appraisal of epidemiological reports
– Perform regression analysis for continuous and categorical outcome data e.t.c.

Training participation is highly competitive limited slots are available. Only candidates who meet the selection criteria will be invited to participate. Interested applicants from any Government of Nigeria organization including NCDC, NAFDAC, NPHCDA and FMoH should express interest by filling the form attached.
Date: 13th – 16th June, 2023.
Time: 9am – 5pm

Click here to download Expression of Interest Form

Picture Above: IHVN Technical Adviser Laboratory Services, Mr Abubakar Abdullahi and IHVN Senior Manager Laboratory Services, Mrs Balogun Oyebimpe receiving guests on a tour of NaLEEC at the ceremony. laboratory.

The National Laboratory Equipment Calibration Centre (NaLECC) has received international accreditation to calibrate laboratory equipment for quality assurance and optimum performance.
The center’s ISO 17025:2017 accreditation by Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS), makes it the first in West Africa certified to provide this service.