The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), is a world renowned research centre that has witnessed numerous advances in medical and scientific breakthroughs.

From HIV & AIDS, to malaria, tuberculosis, cholera and other communicable disorders, coupled with the state-of-the-art laboratory, the research institute is certainly one to celebrate for these and so many other reasons.

In this interview with Chioma Obinna, Prof Innocent Ujah, the Director- General of the research institue, speaks on some of the achievements witnessed in recent times.

Excerpts:

Incidences of MDR-TB

Tuberculosis is a disease, associated with poverty and HIV & AIDS. Cases are still springing up. More worrisome, is the Multi Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB), that does not respond to traditional drugs, if we don’t do anything now, it would become very deadly.

We are collaborating with Family Health International (FHI) on this case. They are supporting NIMR to build another laboratory which would be of higher grade. We want to upgrade it to Biosafety Level-3 Facility (BLS3) to help detect more cases on MDR -TB.

Prof. Innocent Ujah

When we do that, we would immediately get samples from all parts of the country, particularly in areas of MDR – TB and once done, we would inform the Federal Ministry of Health and plan on strategies to reduce the incidence of MDR- TB in the country.

Despite all these modest achievements, we have to collaborate on clinical trials with one of the companies in the US and they are willing to support NIMR. So, I must say, that advocacy is working.

Statistics from our National TB Reference Laboratory, shows that new suspected TB patients from January to December, 2010 is about 1,677. The males are 629 while the female is about 1048(62.5 percent)). The total number of smear positive cases for TB is 154. We were able to follow up 857 cases. Out of these cases, a total number of MDR-TB cases are 22 , 16 male, six female – 6). Since January this year to April, the institute has seen about 1,107 (Male – 692, Female – 415), tootal number of smear positive cases – 155 (Male – 86, Female – 69) and we have seen 5 cases of MDR-TB.

Responses to disease outbreaks

One of the first few challenges was that of the cholera epidemic which broke out in the northern part of Nigeria and which we responded to very quickly. We all know that the institute played a very vital role. Before now, when we visited an outstation in Maiduguri, they confessed to have never heard of NIMR before until we intervened in the cholera epidemic and we were very well appreciated.

After our visits to the affected areas, we found out that there could be another epidemic and we prepared leaflets, educational materials to create awareness among the people because cholera itself is associated with dirts & unhygienic environment and the people must know what they should do to prevent cholera. We do not need a new research to know that it strives best in unhygienic environment, contaminated water and to sensitise the people to go to the hospital immediately they notice diarrhea or vomiting..

Our Molecular Biology Unit is working on the different strains. We intend going further to map Nigeria. We want to know if the strains in the north are the same with those of the South. We intend to achieve this through research. Cholera is still endemic in Nigeria, at the moment, there are reports to say that Yobe State has cholera and Niger as well. We are planning to send a team of Researchers to those areas not only to look at the environment but also to take samples to study the various strains of the environment and how to overcome them.

Update on the strains

Not yet ready, it is still undergoing study and we are yet to determine the strains in all the geo- political zones in Nigeria. Another thing we have done in the last one year, is that the institute has almost finalised its 5-year Strategic Plan which will give the institute strategic direction on how to respond to national health research priorities, so it is big.

The Board of the institute has been very supportive. We are at the stage of finalising and once we have finalised, we would let the public know.

On his one year in office:

We have been able to look at what is on ground and a few challenges. We have also been able to raise the momentum of the foremost Medical Research Institute in Nigeria. When I came on board, I needed to review and look at issues on ground and develop strategies from where we took off and I must say it has been so far,so good except for the obvious challenges.

For instance, when I came, people had little understanding about the foremost medical research institute in Nigeria and therefore, I had the burden of trying to create awareness among the community, stakeholders and the government. At first, I was embarrassed, I had to pick up courage because if policy makers do not know about the institute then how would they support us? By and large, the first year has been used to create an enabling environment in the institute during which we have sensitised people on our mandate for health research to respond to national health priorities.

We are planning series of lectures to inform the public on some of the achievements and challenges of the institute because we believe that since we owe responsibility to the public then they should know how well we are doing, the challenges and how they can be of assistance to us.