Ebola vaccine trial: Nigeria, US military set up study center

Nigeria and United State of America (USA) military yesterday commenced collaboration in medical research on a test study of the Ebola vaccine in Abuja.The launch of the Ebola Vaccine Study Center in Abuja, coincided with the 10 years anniversary of partnership between the Ministry of Defence, Health Implementation Programme (MODHIP) and the UnitedStates Department of Defence, Walter Reed Programme-Nigeria (USDOD WRP-N).At the flag-off of activities for the Center the United States Ambassador to Nigeria James Entwistle said the US-Nigeria partnership is working with pharmaceutical companies to prepare to test vaccine candidates in Abuja, as part of an international network through the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research’s Military HIV Programme.He added that the partnership is closely working with many regulatory bodies, ethics groups, federal entities, and community boards in Nigeria to ensure that any such studies will be safe and contribute to theinternational effort to combat Ebola virus health threat.Minister of Defence, General Aliyu Gusau Rtd, represented by the Minister of State for Defence Colonel Austin Akobundu (rtd) said the effort to commence vaccine trial against Ebola is a welcome development.He noted that this particular study is to build on the findings of the phase one trials of the vaccine and that it will be harmless to those who will be involved in the study.Akubondu added that, “I am aware of the stringent and rigorous selection process that led to the emergence of the clinical Research Centre with support from the Defence Reference Laboratory Abuja as a site for the study.”Minister of Health Khaliru Alhassan, represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry Linus Awute stated that there is need for all hands to be on deck to bridge the gap of knowledge, health infrastructure and diseases surveillance between the developed and the developing countries.He pointed out that the developmental process and execution of the vaccine trial is of serious importance to the federal government, because of the safety of participants.