By CHIOMA OBINNA

Plans are underway to establish a standard National Research Fund with a view to encouraging more local research in all sectors of the economy.

The Research Fund when established would cover all the various research institutes in the country.

The Minister of Health, Professor  Onyebuchi Chukwu who disclosed this while on a working visit at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, said already, President Goodluck Jonathan has set up a committee charged with the responsibility of setting up a sustainable National Research Fund that would stand the test of time as well as provide both local and international research.

Stating that establishment of such Fund was overdue in the country, Chukwu, further opined that with it in place, there would be defined national priorities in research.

He warned: “It would not be just that anybody is interested in a particular research, then that person must be sponsored with the fund or given grant. We need to spend the country’s fund on something that can really impact on the country. Others can do that but our funds should be primarily for something that has to do with the country even though other countries may not be interested in it.  That is the way to go.

Acknowledging that lack of fund has seriously impacted on effective research, he disclosed that the Federal Government had reviewed funds for research institutes, particularly, NIMR in the 2013 budget.

“In the 2013 envelope, we want to see if we can give more funds to NIMR. We hope that, it would be sustained through the National Assembly. We are hoping for an improvement. There is need for us to begin to look at our priorities in this country and return our focus to what it used to be.”

Chukwu urged the four groups in the Ministry of Health to work closely in matters of research. “The Nigeria Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development, newly established Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Nigeria Institute of Medical Research and Policy Department of Public Health should form a kind of nest to integrate what they are doing in the country.

“I think if we get it right, we will be able to present that kind of fronts to attract funding from other sources, I am confident that each one has a role to play. Although, our other parastatals were also involve in the operational research but the real basic research must come through you.”

Presenting the achievements and constraints of the institute, the Director- General of NIMR, Prof. Innocent Ujah who recounted impressive achievements of the institute even with the limited funds maintained that lack of fund has remained a major challenge.  Appealing for better funding of the institute, he disclosed that no fewer than 19,462 people living with HIV & AIDS are accessing care at the institute.

Ujah hinted that out of the number, 12,187 are receiving Anti-Retroviral drugs, ARVs, free of charge.  He added that cases of discordant couples are being compiled.