NIMR, FMC sign MoU on research, clinical trials development for disease management

The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta, Lagos on multi-disciplinary research and clinical trial development for improved treatment and management of morbidity related diseases.

The management team of the research institute, hospital, scientists and other stakeholders, witnessed the signing of the agreement, which was held at the NIMR’s main auditorium.

Explaining the objective of the partnership, the Director General of NIMR, Prof. Babatunde Salako, said the collaboration was vital, as it would provide scientists an array of human participants that would assist in their quest to find new therapies, evolve better approach to disease management, drug development, clinical trials and development of new diagnostic tools. He added that the partnership was also needed to reposition the Institute to do more on its roles in providing evidence for policy, innovation through research and ability to provide cutting edge treatment for diseases causing morbidity and mortality in our environment.

The Director General, while stating the benefits of the partnership, said the relationship would provide a backup service for field disease detection during surveillance for endemic diseases or disease outbreak detection.

“This management found it compelling to improve its networks and collaborative efforts by approaching the management of the Federal Medical Centre Ebute – Metta to provide the Institute with opportunities and much needed facilities to conduct human participants’ health research, using the hospital as its clinical research facility.

“This understanding will provide our scientists an array of human participants that will assist them in their quest to find new therapies, evolve better approach to disease management, drug development clinical trials and development of new diagnostic tools”, he explained.

Salako further stated that the hospital’s clinical specialists and its special investigative facilities, especially in the clinical area will be made available for research purposes that are capable of expressly advancing the healthcare capability of the hospital.

On his own part, the Medical Director, FMC Ebute–Metta, Dr. Adedamola Dada, said the collaboration will afford patients access to cutting edge research, latest technology, latest method of healthcare delivery, adding that the two health institutions would also have the opportunity to contribute to knowledge to improve the nation’s healthcare delivery.

Speaking on the areas of research concentration, Dada noted that the hospital is not restricting the research to a particular area, stressing that the partnership is a lifetime and a win-win situation, for the patients, hospital, research institute and the country. “As an hospital, our services cut across areas of medicine, even checking our outcomes is a form of research, so it is actually a programme that would impact positively in everything we do as a medical institution. It will have positive impact on our patient care and outcome, the services we render, our structure and our processes,” he explained.