The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) will soon launch its state-of-the-art multi-campus of excellence in public healthcare, training, and research in Abuja.
The Chief Executive Officer of IHVN, Dr. Patrick Dakum, in a statement, said the campus will revolutionize the fight against emerging infectious and non-infectious diseases in Nigeria and the African continent. He said it would also bring quality health services within the reach of millions of Nigerians.
Dr. Dakum said the commissioning of the campus, which is slated for June 6, will be preceded by a scientific seminar on addressing local health challenges through quality research and partnership.
He said the seminar will bring together key scientists and public-private stakeholders in the health sector, adding that the main speakers include Professor Robert Gallo, the globally acclaimed co-discoverer of HIV and director, Institute of Human Virology, Baltimore USA; Professor Alash’le Abimiku, Executive Director, International Research Center of Excellence (IRCE), and Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, Director General of the Nigerian Center for Disease Prevention and Control (NCDC).
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He said, “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 said 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 IHVN Campus 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,” he said.
He added that 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 was established in 2004 as an affiliate of the Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine and incorporated in March 2004 as a local non-governmental organization with a Board of Directors.
It has provided care and treatment to over 570,000 individuals living with HIV in Nigeria since 2004. It has also trained more than 49,000 healthcare providers for quality care for peope living with HIV, TB, malaria, cancer and other diseases. The Institute has also supported over 100 laboratories in Nigeria to implement a quality management system.
