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APIN Phase II – Policy and Institutional Capacity Module Event
November 3-4, 2003 – APIN's Policy and Institutional Capacity Module held a 1-year program review highlighting the official launch of the module in Nigeria. The event took place at the Protea Hotel in Abuja and was attended by the Policy Module team from the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), the University of Ibadan, APIN, and the Harvard School of Public Health, as well as representatives from the World Bank, USAID, Pathfinder International, Policy Project, NEPWHAN, DFID, MSA, (CDC/GAP), NACA and FMOH. Chaired by Prof. Michael Reich, HSPH, and Prof. D. Olu Ajakaiye, NISER, the meeting focused on the status of work and next steps of each component that makes up the module: AIDS Account; Socio-Economic Impact, Cost Benefit Analysis and HAART Study, Gap Analysis, Training Program and Ethical Issues, Behavioral Intervention Study and Media Presentation Evaluation. A discussion on the development of an "AIDS in Nigeria" book finished off the proceedings.
APIN Hosts West African HIV/AIDS Research Symposium at ICASA 2003
September 21, 2003 - APIN recently hosted a symposium at the 13th International Conference on AIDS and STDs in Africa in Nairobi, Kenya that covered various research topics on HIV/AIDS in West Africa including: Surveillance and Epidemiology, Virology, PMTCT, Treatment Programs, and Vaccine Initiatives. In supporting West Africa's efforts to gain control of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, researchers are modeling their approach on a long-term collaboration amongst West African nations, like Nigeria and Senegal (where HIV infection rates have been lower than those of the rest of the continent for more than a decade) and research institutions in the US. Using the most advanced thinking and technologies, these collaborators are now pooling their expertise to help build an infrastructure for West African HIV/AIDS prevention and intervention programs. APIN also sponsored the participation of 18 Nigerians at the Conference as well as co-sponsored a cocktail reception with the Harvard AIDS Institute.
2nd Ethical Issues in International Health Research Workshop
August 27 - September 2, 2003 - As part of its AIDS Policy Module, APIN, in collaboration with the University of Ibadan, conducted a 2nd workshop on "Ethical Issues in International Health Research" held at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan. The program was the result of collaboration between the HSPH research ethics group and the College of Medicine of the University of Ibadan, under the direction of Provost Isaac Adewole. The agenda was based on the HSPH research ethics intensive course, which has been taught at Harvard and in numerous developing countries over the past five years, including a course in Abuja, Nigeria, in November 2001. Final Workshop report pending.
Training Module for ARV Administration Developed
August 19 - 21, 2003 - A dozen physicians from the Federal Ministry of Health and associated ARV centers gathered at the National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) to develop a training module for ARV administration in Nigeria. The workshop led by Dr. Emmanuel Idigbe helped consolidate the protocol for the national ARV program and provide a text and PowerPoint set of documents to be used throughout the country to train physicians in ARV management. Dr. Robert Murphy, from Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, provided the critical expertise in ARV management necessary for much of the ARV management and complications sections of the module. Drs. Levi and Edoprovided important and comprehensive data on the state of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Nigeria. Prof. John Idoko from the Center of Excellence at Jos University Teaching Hospital added his expertise in developing the module to fit the National ARV program. The participants worked many hours for the short 3-day workshop and final documents were finalized and printed late the last evening. The module will be used at the upcoming APIN sponsored training workshop for ARV clinicians, to be hosted by NIMR under Dr. Idigbe's direction. This upcoming workshop will include multiple representatives from each of the 36 states of the Federation as well as representatives from Abuja and the Federal Ministry of Health.
APIN Advisor, Prof. Ransome-Kuti, Dies in London
June 2003 - We mourn the recent death of Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti. The sad event occurred in a London Hospital on June 1, 2003. Prof. Ransome-Kuti was a renowned Nigerian pediatrician and public health expert. He was Nigeria's Minister of Health from 1986 to 1992 and he was the chairman of National Primary Health Care Agency until the time of his death. He was a founding member of the APIN advisory council and an adviser to the APIN project being managed by the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA). Prof. Ransome-Kuti was often referred to as the "father of primary health care in Nigeria". May his gentle soul rest in peace.
APIN Helps Devcoms to Produce a Training Manual for Journalists
Spring 2003 - With the technical support and co-funding from APIN, Development Communications (Devcoms) Network has produced a training manual, entitled, Reporting HIV/AIDS: A Manual for Training Journalists, and a Journalist's Resource Guide as tools for building the capacity of journalists covering the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nigeria. Devcoms is a media-based, non-governmental, science communication and health promotion organization coordinated by experienced Nigerian journalists. The organization is the product of a series of development projects on health promotion, advocacy and capacity building in the Nigerian mass media and the non-governmental sector since 1994 to the present. This spring, Devcoms Network began distribution of the training manuals during one-day seminars for over 86 journalists in Abuja and in Lagos on HIV/AIDS and the media. The seminars and manuals are designed to help journalists understand and better report the complex issues in HIV/AIDS in relation to other reproductive health and sexual rights issues. "We use an integrated approach to promote public understanding of science," says Akin Jimoh, Program Director, Devcoms Network. Devcoms proposes to organize similar seminars in other APIN focal states for journalists and media-NGO partnership training for NGOs. "This is important for us, both the media and NGO activists, to have a common front and bring to fore oral testimonies of HIV/AIDS and other reproductive health and sexual rights issues especially in hard to reach communities," adds Jimoh.
Harvard Africa Health Forum Health Week: Overcoming Disease and Poverty in Africa: Whose Problem? Whose Responsibility?
February 24-28, 2003 - Students and faculty from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), the Harvard Medical School and other Harvard graduate schools attended a lecture series at HSPH as part of "African Health Week: Overcoming Poverty and Disease in Africa: Whose Problem? Whose Responsibility?" APIN helped to sponsor the HSPH student group Harvard Africa Health Forum in coordinating the event. Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and special advisor to the UN Secretary General, provided the Keynote Address entitled, "Investing in Health for Africa's Economic Development". Sachs is a former Harvard professor and former director of Harvard's Center for International Development. APIN Director, Phyllis Kanki, participated on a panel discussing, "Disease Burden and Strategies in Intervention." Emmanuel Obiechina, Harvard Visiting Lecturer in Afro-American Studies, English, American Language and Literature; and Former Vice-Chancellor of University of Nigeria, provided the closing address during the final evening that was devoted to African culture, arts, and entertainment.
President Obasanjo is Given AIDS Leadership Award by Harvard AIDS Institute
February 19, 2003 - The Harvard AIDS Institute (HAI) presented the 2002 AIDS Leadership Award to Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo at a special ceremony in Abuja. President Obasanjo was recognized for his leadership in addressing the AIDS crisis in the international community, as well as in Nigeria. Each year the HAI's International Advisory Council, co-chaired by Maurice Tempelsman and Deeda Blair together with its senior faculty select a leader who has displayed outstanding vision, leadership, and courage in the world's struggle against AIDS. "The depth of President Obasanjo's commitment has awakened others to the urgency of the AIDS epidemic," said Max Essex, HAI chair. "The President's leadership in addressing the epidemic is truly remarkable, because he has consistently encouraged candid dialogue on HIV while working tirelessly to mobilize resources both in Nigeria and internationally."
HIV Vaccines for Developing Countries: Prospects for an HIV Vaccine for West Africa
February 18-21, 2003 - The Harvard AIDS Institute’s vaccine think tank series is an ongoing conference series that address the challenge of creating HIV vaccines for worldwide use. The 10th meeting in the series entitled HIV Vaccines for Developing Countries: Prospects for an HIV Vaccine for West Africa, was co-sponsored by APIN in Abuja.
This think tank examined key HIV/AIDS issues affecting West Africa and considered specific regional questions concerning the development of a sub-type specific vaccine. Past think tanks have been held in Botswana, Senegal, and Tanzania. Due to this meeting series' strong focus on and commitment to issues pertaining to the HIV epidemic in the developing world, the Institute selected Nigeria as the host country. President Obasanjo has made HIV/AIDS a top priority on his agenda and has supported and endorsed the work APIN. Dr. Phyllis Kanki, APIN’s Director, and Professor Lateef Salako, a renowned scientist from Nigeria and active participant in the APIN program, Co-Chaired the event. Prof. Salako is also the CEO of the National Vaccine Production Laboratory in Lagos, Nigeria.
Over 70 researchers in infectious disease pathogenesis, epidemiology, and vaccine development, as well as HIV experts, virologists, immunologists, behavioral scientists, biostatisticians, and representatives of international organizations who are key players in the definition, funding, and implementation of such interventions were present.
Click here for a full report.
ARV Therapy Collaboration
February 16 - 17, 2003 – The APIN JUTH Laboratory's clinical, research, ARV and pediatrics teams hosted a group of US and Senegalese collaborators in Jos to review the APIN laboratory and infrastructure as well as exchange information and share experiences on ARV therapy procedures. From the US side were: Dr. Robert Murphy, Division of Infectious Diseases at Northwestern University; Dr. Philip Norris, Partners AIDS Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital; Dr. Robert Redfield, Institute of Human Virology at University of Maryland; and Jean Louis Sankalé, Department of Immunology and Infectios Diseases at the Harvard School of Public Health. The Senegalese contingent included: Dr. Khoudia Sow, Division ICT/SDA at the Institute Hygiene Social; Dr. Mame Awa Touré, Senegal Ministry of Health/CNLS; and Dr. Ibrahima Traoré from the University Cheikh Anta Diop. After the group left Jos to participate in the Vaccine Think Tank in Abuja, Dr. John Idoko, principle investigator for the APIN project at JUTH, acknowledged his guests by saying that, "It was great having all the visitors in Jos. They gave us a lot of encouragement and a bunch of brand new ideas for running the ARV clinic."
Official Opening of APIN-JUTH Laboratory
December 3, 2002 - The commissioning of the APIN-JUTH laboratory in Jos began with the arrival of the Honorable Minister of Health Professor A.B.C. Nwosu. Other dignitaries included the new Commissioner of Health, Barrister John Mogaji (previously Minister of Lands), Vice Chancellor Munrat, with JUTH’s Chief Medical Director, Dr. Daniel Iya, as the Master of Ceremonies. After the opening speeches, there was a tour of the laboratory and light refreshments. Special mention was paid to MTN for the donation of the Cyflow machine to the laboratory and Mr. Calyctus Okoruwa, who was present representing MTN Nigeria, was acknowledged. Members of the APIN advisory and working group that were present at the opening included: Dr. A. Nasidi from the Ministry; Drs. Adesina, Oladakun, Olaleye, Odaibo and Maxwell from UCH; Prof. Kunle Odomosu from NISER; Prof. Lawrence Adeokun from ARFH; Dr. Oni Idigbe from NIMR; and Mrs. Pearl Nwashili from STOPAIDS. From Plateau State: Dr. Comfort Daniyam from the Plateau State Specialist Hospital group; representatives from HALTAIDS; and Mrs. Viola Owuliri from SWAAN.
APIN Participates in SOGON
November 19 – 23, 2002 - APIN participated in the 2002 Conference of the Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON) at the Sheraton Hotels & Towers in Abuja. The theme of this year’s conference was Emergency Obstetric Care: The Key to Reduction of Maternal Mortality. Dr. Oduwole Odutolu, APIN Senior Program Manager, gave a goodwill message on behalf of APIN Director, Prof. Phyllis Kanki, during the opening ceremony and APIN supported an exhibit booth manned by Dr. Olubukola Adesina, project manager of the APIN/UCH PMTCT project in Ibadan.
APIN-JUTH Laboratory Start-up Training
October 28 - November 15, 2002 - APIN supported a lab-training workshop during the start up phase of the new APIN laboratory at the Jos University Training Hospital. The training covered topics that included HIV testing techniques, review of data management, sample logging, and principles of lab safety and lab practices. Dr. Jean Louis Sankalé, APIN Senior Researcher and designer of the new laboratory, provided an overview of equipment training and manuals, posting of protocols, organization of freezers, fire extinguisher training, biosafety bags and classification of waste. Chris Mullins, a laboratory manager in the Kanki Lab at the Harvard School of Public Health, led the training on the procedures of Western Blot HIV testing, including data management on the Filemaker Pro database, which he helped to install on the laboratory’s computers. As part of South-South collaboration with Nigeria, Dr. Papa Alassane Diaw, a biologist from CHU Dantac in Dakar, Senegal, participated and led the training on cell separation and Dynabeadstm procedures, a procedure for measuring CD4 cell counts. Dr. Mame Awa Toure, from the Ministry of Health in Senegal, also participated by providing her expertise in programs on prevention of mother-to-child transmission and antiretroviral therapy. During the workshop, Drs. Sankale and Diaw helped to set it up the newly arrived Cyflow machine donated by MTN.
MTN Donates Towards AIDS Care and Support in Nigeria
November 2002 - In a unique fulfillment of its corporate responsibility, MTN Nigeria Limited has donated two cyflows worth $60,000 to two AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria (APIN) laboratories at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan and the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) Jos. Cyflows are used to determine CD4 cell count -which is a determinant of the level of immunological capacity and competence of People living with AIDS (PLWAs) and to monitor response to Anti-Retro Viral (ARV) therapy.
Click here for full press release.
Joint Workshop on APIN Phase II: Policy and Institutional Capacity Module
October 28-30, 2002 - The AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria (APIN) held a Joint Workshop on APIN Phase II - Policy and Institutional Capacity Module for officials of the University of Ibadan, NISER and Faculty at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) in Boston, MA. The purpose of this workshop was to help participants to:
- Achieve a common understanding of the goals and objectives of the Policy and Institutional Capacity Module;
- Specify the areas of collaboration among the University of Ibadan, NISER and HSPH faculty;
- Clarify expectations and responsibilities on all sides; and
- Lay out a feasible work plan for collaboration.
Click here for summary report.
Data Management Workshop held at the Harvard School of Public Health
August 12-16, 2002 - The AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria [APIN] held a workshop on "Data Management in Public Health Projects" at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, MA from August 12 – 16, 2002. The participants reviewed practices and procedures that will help in the development of high quality data administration for their clinical and intervention projects. The workshop exercises provided relevant examples of data collection, handling and quality control. The workshop was organized in recognition of the fact that as ‘the scale and complexity of a project increases in terms of objectives, number of staff, and interrelated project components, it becomes more important to make data management an explicit guided activity’.
Click here for summary report.
First APIN Fellows to Graduate from Harvard School of Public Health
June 6, 2002 - APIN’s fellowship program aimed at building Nigeria’s epidemiological and laboratory capacities had good reason to celebrate this June. Two Nigerian doctors became the Initiative’s first trainees to graduate in the Masters of Public Health program at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. Drs. Olumuyiwa Aina and Anuoluwapo Falusi, who joined the Department of Population and International Health last September, have committed to a 2nd fellowship year in Nigeria participating in APIN projects. As recommended by the APIN Advisory Council, fellows are encouraged to be actively involved in HIV/AIDS projects in Nigeria upon their return. Dr. Aina is very interested in using this opportunity to assist in the activities at UCH in Ibadan, particularly in the area of HIV surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment. Dr. Falusi has planned to assist in the activities at JUTH in Jos, particularly in the area of PMTCT and STD projects, data collection, and HIV/AIDS research.
APIN Sponsors Oyo State Plan of Action on Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS
May 28, 2002 - On behalf of the state governor, Dr. Niyi Adelakun, the Oyo State Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources, performed the official launching of the Oyo State Plan of Action on Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS at the Western Hall / Parliament Building Secretariat in Ibadan. Present at the occasion were the Commissioner of Health Dr. Gbola Adetunji, Prof. O.A. Ladipo, President of the Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH), Mrs. Grace Ebun Delano, VP/Executive Director ARFH, Prof. L. Adeokun, Director E&OR ARFH, lawmakers, journalists, representatives of NGOs, etc.
Prior to this launching, ARFH had provided technical support, through a grant from APIN, for assistance that facilitated the development of a comprehensive Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS in Oyo State. Mrs. Delano from ARFH stated, "With the commitment shown by the Oyo State Government, ARFH and APIN, the Plan of Action will provide the springboard necessary to design and implement programs to curtail the spread of HIV/AIDS in Oyo State."
Recent APIN/Center for International Development Workshops:
National AIDS Accounts
Abuja, Nigeria
May 22-23, 2002
Cost-Effectiveness of HIV/AIDS Programs in Nigeria
Abuja, Nigeria
May 13-17, 2002
As more research is conducted in developing countries, cost analysis is an important tool for evaluating current levels of resource use and assessing opportunities for future expenditures to control the AIDS epidemic. Combining cost data with measures of effectiveness can provide information as to the value of a particular HIV/AIDS intervention.
Dissemination of HIV Prevention Program Costing Data
Ibadan, Nigeria
May 7-8, 2002
The Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic Research (NISER) will disseminate findings based on costing and output data collected on four prevention interventions. There will be a discussion of next steps in using costing and effectiveness data to assess behavior intervention programs for input into national planning.
Workshops on STD Management and Antiretroviral Therapy
From March 17 to 22, APIN hosted a workshop entitled "Workshop on STD Management" and "Workshop on Antiretroviral Therapy". The workshops took place in Dakar, Senegal, at the Laboratoire de Bacteriologie et Virologie at Cheikh Anta Diop Université, which served as a co-host.
Clinicians from Oyo, Plateau, and Lagos states participated, along with physicians from around Nigeria. The workshop provided an update on current STD diagnostic procedures, a review of STD management and treatment, a practicum on laboratory methods, antiretroviral management training, and an overview of Senegal's National Accelerated Access to ARV Therapy Program.
Senegal is a country that started an ARV program almost 3 years ago. Last year they were given Accelerated Access to ARV by the UNAIDS, allowing for discounted prices, and the ability to establish a nationwide program. Nigerian investigators had the opportunity to see this program in action and discuss the organization of the program from the government level down to clinical management of infected individuals.
Click here for summary report.
APIN Announces More Than US $260,000 in New Grants to Help Prevent the Spread of HIV/AIDS
Click here for summary report.
Forum with President Obasanjo
On March 9th, 2002, President Olusegun Obasanjo convened a national Forum, "HIV-AIDS in Nigeria: The Road Ahead," that brought together major stakeholders in the fight against the epidemic, including government agencies, non-governmental organizations, religious leaders, and donor agencies. This Forum was co-sponsored the Federal Ministry of Health, National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA), and the AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria (APIN) through the Center for International Development.
Click here for a summary report.
Research Identification Workshop, Ibadan
The Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic Research (NISER) organized a two-day Research Identification Workshop at their headquarters on January 7-8, 2002. The session was a collaboration between NISER and the AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria (APIN) and focused on "Costing of AIDS Prevention Initiatives in Nigeria: Articulating Research Priorities and Methodologies". The goal of the meeting was to highlight issues in costing of HIV prevention activities and to determine research priorities through consensus building. NISER will use the results to conduct a costing analysis on each of the four selected initiatives.
Click here for full summary report. |
