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Buhari Wants MRNA Vaccine Production in Nigeria

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By Mathew Dadiya, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has welcomed the exploratory interactions, between Nigerian biomedical scientists, officials of the Federal Ministry of Health and BioNTech company, to support the production of messenger RNA vaccines in Nigeria.

The President met with Mr.

Holm Keller, the Executive Chairman of KENUP Foundation and representative of the CEO of BioNTech, the mRNA vaccine patent holder in Africa on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja

Buhari expressed confidence that the interactions between the parties would be productive, leading to collaborations at many levels, from clinical trials to research and development of new vaccines and eventually support vaccine manufacturing facilities in the country.

‘‘We are impressed with the numerous possibilities said to be around the mRNA technology and hence seek cooperation with well-intentioned organizations, including yours, to build a strong bilateral partnership with your company and your affiliate bodies, as science gets closer to understanding the possibilities around successful mRNA technology.

‘‘We believe the mRNA technology will help solve other public health challenges too, especially those peculiar to our tropical environment.

‘‘As you conduct exploratory interactions with our scientists in the biomedical field and officials of the Ministry of Health, I look forward to receiving a commitment to expand collaboration to achieve our goal of developing capacities for Research & Development and manufacturing,’’ he said.

Recounting the vast inequalities in access to COVID-19 vaccines at the peak of the pandemic, Buhari said Nigeria and many middle-income countries now appreciate the need for global decentralization and diversification of manufacturing capacity of items critical for public health security.

The President also used the occasion to highlight the many investment opportunities and potentials in the country, urging the Foundation and other prospective investors to pay ‘‘special attention’’ to Africa’s most populous country.

‘‘KENUP Foundation will find in Nigeria, a suitable research & development ecosystem, in terms of human resource expertise and endemic, deadly disease challenges that require research to help to end with new vaccines.

‘‘Our reputable scientific community has the capacity to engage with you meaningfully in all caliber of research and to add value to your joint effort.

‘‘Nigeria has a long tradition in vaccine manufacturing and laboratories for microbiological research, both in private and public facilities, and also for human and veterinary vaccine research, established over 80 years ago. You will find in Nigeria, biosafety Level 3 laboratories and ongoing initiatives with trusted partners to develop Level 4 capacity too.

‘‘We have a vibrant Health Ethics Research Council and our WHO Maturity Level 3 certified Regulatory body, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control regulates vaccines, and have started the process to attain Maturity Level Four, that makes pharmaceutical products made in Nigeria, including vaccines, marketable abroad.

‘‘We invest significantly in health, education, in Research and Development and encourage discovery and partnership in joint ventures, such as with a private pharmaceutical company to begin routine vaccines manufacturing in-country.’’

Buhari, who described Nigeria as the gateway to West African business and commerce, and the preferred destination for ECOWAS citizens in search of markets, added that Biovaccines Nigeria Limited, a Public Private Partnership company and other private companies are at varying stages of acquiring capacities for local manufacturing of vaccines.

Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said President Buhari has “passion for public health security, hence your receiving this team,” which he added was around to explore possibilities of collaboration in manufacture of new vaccines.

Mr Holm Keller described his organization as a public-benefit foundation dedicated to innovation in public health.

He said he was thrilled to learn of the great work  President Buhari and his administration has done for Nigeria, “and the aim of our mission is to establish research partnerships, which would benefit Nigeria and Africa.

“We want to contribute to vaccine equity through manufacturing scheme suitable to the country. We are working on malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, monkeypox, and other vaccines, to be manufactured in Africa.”

Keller added that there was also the plan to find African personalized treatment for cancer, which is only available to the richest of the rich in some parts of the world.

“We want to change that, and are working on therapeutic vaccines that can stop the growth of tumors. We want it to be available globally, and not just in wealthy countries. We want to explore opportunities in this domain, and support your good work.”

Health

Expert Advocates For Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Through HIV Self Testing.

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From Attah Ede, Makurdi

Eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Nigeria is an achievable goal, but it requires innovative approaches that can address the unique barriers faced by women in underserved communities.

An expert on health related matters, Dr Godwin Emmanuel stated while interacting with newsmen as part of activities commemorating the just concluded World Aids Day in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

Dr.

Emmanuel who is the Managing Partner/Impact Officer of MOZUK Future Solutions Limited, stated that the World AIDS Day have come and gone, yet Nigeria government must not fail to examine some of the gaps that must be urgently bridged as a nation.

He explained that each year, thousands of children are born with HIV, largely due to inadequate access to testing and treatment during pregnancy, disclosing that the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that Nigeria contributes about 22% of global paediatric HIV cases which indicates the urgent need for innovative approaches to curb MTCT.

“This brings me to a recent study in Lagos and Kano which demonstrated how HIV self-testing kits offer a practical, effective, and scalable solution to our MTCT challenges.

“The study interrogates an initiative seeking to integrate HIV Self-Test (HIVST) kits into TBA services as part of a broader strategy to eliminate MTCT.

“The intervention targeted underserved communities where healthcare access is limited, leveraging the trust and accessibility of TBAs to distribute self-testing kits and provide essential counselling”.

According to him, the study, led by Dr. Toriola Adebayo of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and Dr. Usman Bashir of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, articulated the role of local expertise in advancing healthcare solutions tailored to community needs.

“In this intervention, 182 TBA clinics across three local government areas (LGAs) in Lagos and Kano States were equipped with HIVST kits. TBAs received extensive training on the administration of the tests, pre- and post-test counselling, and linkage to care for those who tested positive.

“Among the 1,982 pregnant women enrolled in the study, pre-intervention testing rates were markedly low, with just 60% in Lagos and 38% in Kano having ever been tested for HIV. After the introduction of HIVST, testing uptake surged, with all participants voluntarily using the kits during antenatal visits.

“The results were promising:
HIV Positivity Rate: An overall positivity rate of 0.8% was recorded, with slightly higher rates in Lagos (1.1%) compared to Kano (0.8%).

“First-Time Testers: Remarkably, 80% of those who tested positive were undergoing HIV testing for the first time.
Linkage to Care: All HIV-positive individuals were successfully linked to ART services, demonstrating the effectiveness of the TBA-led model in bridging gaps in healthcare access.

“The success of this initiative exemplifies how HIVST can become a cornerstone of affirmative action against paediatric HIV infections, which was also a critical focus of World AIDS Day observances.

“As evidenced by the success of the Lagos and Kano initiative, when confidentiality, stigma reduction, and leveraging trusted community figures like TBAs are prioritised, HIVST has the potential to transform PMTCT efforts across Nigeria.

“This is even more so with sustained investment, community buy-in, and political will. This can move us closer to a future where no child is born with HIV and every mother has the opportunity to live a healthy, fulfilling life”, Dr. Emmanuel alluded.

He further revealed that HIV self-testing kits offer a simple, private, and effective means of determining one’s HIV status, adding that the kits allow individuals to test themselves using a saliva sample or a small drop of blood, with results available in minutes.

Highlighting the importance, the health, said the convenience and confidentiality of this method are particularly appealing to those who might avoid traditional testing due to stigma or fear of disclosure.

He stated that the fear of being judged or ostracised often prevents pregnant women from seeking HIV testing, stressing that HIVST kits allow individuals to test in the comfort of their homes or a private setting, without fear of disclosure. This is particularly crucial for pregnant women, who may face compounded stigma if diagnosed with HIV.

“Increased Testing Uptake as demonstrated shown the intervention in Lagos and Kano demonstrates that when provided with confidential and convenient testing options, more women are willing to know their HIV status. Early diagnosis is key to initiating ART, which can reduce the risk of MTCT to less than 1%.

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Health

NAFDAC Supports Herbal Medicine, says Must go Through Clinical Trials

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Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), says she supports herbal medicine production in the country.

She said this on a Forum in Abuja.

She, however, explained that for NAFDAC to accommodate herbal medicine as part of its regulated products, such herbal preparation must go through clinical trials.

She disclosed that the major challenge to herbal medicine practitioners is how to secure resources to finance clinical trial for their products, which she said cost a lot of money because it is a major aspect in medicine.

She added that “I believe in natural medicine, I was brought up with it, like the Agbo that we were taking and it was working.

“Herbal medicine or natural medicine work, before I came back home from the United States, I started a research on natural medicine for the cure of sickle cell, my niece who is a sickler got on it and her episodes decreased by 70 to 80 per cent.”

She explained that the agency gives approval for natural medicines once proven it is not toxic, and they have been used and tested before.

“We approve them for two years and then they can renew if they do clinical trial because it is something we are not used to in Nigeria.

“China supports many of these herbal practitioners.”

The director-general also spoke about using fruits and vegetables as medicine to cure some illnesses, adding that some of these fruits contain antioxidants that prevent cancer. (NAN)

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Health

NCDC Calms Fears over XEC COVID-19 Variant, Urges Continued Vigilance

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has allayed public fears over the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 XEC subvariant globally.

The Director-General of the centre, Dr Jide Idris, did this in a public advisory issued on Saturday night in Abuja, made available to newsmen.

Idris reassured Nigerians that the variant, though identified in 29 countries, has not been detected in Nigeria.

He said that the XEC subvariant, a descendant of the Omicron JN.

1 lineage, was currently classified as a Variant Under Monitoring (VUM).

According to him, this means that it is being closely observed for potential concerns but does not yet pose significant risk.

“The XEC sub-variant has been reported in Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa, with Botswana being the only African country to record cases so far.

“While the sub-variant exhibits higher transmissibility, there is no evidence of increased disease severity,” he said.

The NCDC boss said that Nigeria had been monitoring the JN.1 variant, classified as a Variant of Interest (VOI), which has been present in the country since January.

He assured Nigerians that the National COVID-19 Technical Working Group was conducting continuous surveillance and data analysis.

Additionally, he said that a dynamic risk assessment was being organised to strengthen the country’s preparedness and response capabilities.

He urged health facilities nationwide to ramp up COVID-19 testing and forward positive samples to accredited laboratories for genomic sequencing.

He encouraged the public to maintain vigilance and adhere to basic health protocols, including handwashing, mask usage in crowded spaces, and ensuring proper ventilation indoors.

He advised vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, to remain cautious.

“COVID-19 remains a significant risk, particularly for the elderly, individuals undergoing cancer treatment, organ transplant recipients, and those with suppressed immune systems.

“We urge Nigerians to get vaccinated and receive booster doses as recommended,” he said.

The director-general also called on state governments to enhance public health infrastructure, provide resources for improved surveillance and diagnostics, and promote public health education.

He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to providing Nigerians with accurate and timely information on the evolving COVID-19 situation globally.

He urged citizens to avoid misinformation and rely on verified updates from its platforms.

“For assistance, the public is encouraged to contact the NCDC via its toll-free number 6232 or, WhatsApp: 07087110839, Twitter: @NCDCGov and Facebook: @NCDCgov,” he said.

Report says that the XEC variant of COVID-19 is a recombinant strain, meaning it results from the combination of genetic material from two or more existing variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Recombinant variants can emerge when different strains infect the same individual and exchange genetic material during replication.

This process may lead to new variants with unique properties, such as increased transmissibility, virulence, or resistance to immunity.

While thousands of mutations have been tracked globally, only a few variants are monitored for public health significance.

Nigeria’s NCDC and global health organizations like the WHO continue genomic surveillance to monitor and respond to emerging variants.(NAN)

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