Nigeria’s healthcare systems have continued to deteriorate and this is owing to the country’s inability to effectively and efficiently fund medical research.
Research in Nigeria is donor driven and the fund is at 0.08 per cent as against the two per cent recommended by the World Health Organisation.
Experts say there is need for the Nigerian government to invest more in various medical research institutes across the country to drive development in the healthcare space and most importantly, work towards turning research findings into actual strategies that can improve the sector.
They also say Nigeria has a lot to learn from other countries benchmark to resuscitate the staggering Medical Research Institutes that threats the country ambition in putting its 200 million people to lose out of advanced medical researches, technologies and cost effective healthcare.
“Each country needs to fund research for scientist or researchers to conduct research using their own population because of peculiarities. Until we realise this, our health sector will not improve,” Babatunde Salako director-general of Nigerian institute of medical research said.
“If we do not fund research in Nigeria, we cannot expect innovations and significant development, that is what other advanced countries has done, they invest a lot in research and ask questions,” he said.
According to Salako, certain factors that have contributed to the decline of research from late 1988 till date include, lack of skills in modern methods, lack of equipment for carrying out state-of-the earth research, poor infrastructure, poor funding, poor network of collaboration and partners and low capacity for craftsmanship for quality and quantity research work.
Research plays a major role in all sectors and there is a need for the health sector in Nigeria to tap into it for easier findings or studies of health pathogens, diagnosis, and treatment, and if possible cure to tackle challenges of public health emergencies and to enhance county’s preparedness and response to epidemics through prevention, detection and control among others.
Experts say strengthening the capacity of researches in Nigeria, there should be increased funding on the part of government, trainings in new technologies, acquiring new skills, and extensive collaboration.
Sunday Omilabu, vice chairman, 54gene Advisory Committee, said research is designed and implemented in ways that generate knowledge, validity and integrity to improve health and well-being.
“Nigeria does not have data, this era is data economy and we do not have the facility. If we understand this, we can begin to target solutions and interventions that increase access to accurate and quality healthcare,” Omilabu said.
Similarly, Olubunmi Magbagbeola, Professor of Biochemistry – University of Lagos, Nigeria. College of Medicine said that research is the greatest engine for national development, through which a developing nation and poor nation can attain economic prosperity, social engineering, patent and innovations, drug discovery, job creation, human longevity and health system impact.
“The findings and outputs of research, as much as, applicable, should drive the emergence of sustainable and implementable policies and effective utilisation to change the society and life of the people for the better.” she said.
Reflecting on what Nigeria can draw on considerable practical lessons from other countries’ reforms in managing the medical research institute with positive equity outcomes, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) model is a point way for the Nigerians government on budgetary disbursement.
The Kenyan Government recently made it constitutional to appropriate two percent of its national budget to research and the institute helps to disburse funds to research that addresses public health concerns in Kenya.
KEMRI has six constitutional mandates, which are: To carry out research in human health; to cooperate with other research organisations and institutions of higher learning on matters of relevant research and training; to liaise with other relevant bodies within and outside Kenya carrying out research and related activities; To disseminate and translate research findings for evidence-based policy formulation and implementation; to cooperate with the Ministry of Health, the National Commission for Science and Technology.
ANTHONIA OBOKOH
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