The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) is partnering Bloom Public Health to facilitate the strengthening of its capacity on research and development of pharmaceuticals to ensure availability of quality medicines to Nigerians during and post COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a press statement, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by both parties will see Bloom facilitating other collaborations within Africa to support NIPRD in playing a leadership role in the pharmaceutical quality space. Additionally, Bloom will serve as NIPRD’s technical partner for accessing and implementing donor-funded initiatives to enhance NIPRD’s impact in Nigeria.
Chimezie Anyakora, CEO, Bloom Public Health, said, “The COVID19 pandemic amplifies the urgent need to strengthen the Nigerian Pharmaceutical sector and NIPRD as an institution is extremely instrumental to the growth and development of the sector.
“This partnership will ensure that NIPRD is fully supported technically to lead our country’s pharmaceutical sector reform and we are honoured and privileged to be able to contribute our quota to this great journey” he said. He described the partnership as catalyst for a pharmaceutical renaissance, looking forward to the impact it will have on public health.
On his part, Obi Peter Adigwe, director-general, NIPRD, stated that the partnership between both organisations will revolutionize the development of home-grown solutions for Nigeria’s healthcare issues. With NIPRD having statutory responsibility for research and development of drugs, vaccines, phytomedicines and commodities, he said the organisation’s strategic plan is to use carefully nurtured partnerships with institutions, Nigerian and Foreign universities and funding agencies to stimulate local production of excipients, pharma inputs, quality medicines and other innovative interventions for the sector. “We are glad to partner with Bloom Public Health as it is just the sort of contextual alliance that can expedite access to healthcare for our people,” said Adigwe.
The global public health response to the Covid-19 pandemic has led to emergency efforts to find medicines to prevent or treat the infection, which contributes to the impairing effect on the essential medicines supply chains as a result of some medicines’ candidacy for the covid-19 treatment. This partnership is expected to boost Nigeria’s capacity to research into and develop more quality drugs.
