Expert Urges Research On Communicable Diseases

The Director General of Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos, Prof. Innocent Ujah, has called for more research into infectious diseases.

Ujah made the call in a paper he delivered at a three-day African Conference on Infectious Diseases, Emergency Response and Travel Medicine held in Owerri on Wednesday.

He said research was essential because of the high prevalence of infectious diseases in developing countries.

Ujah, a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, said infectious and parasitic diseases ranked second among the top killer diseases of the world, and accounted for 60 per cent of the diseases in Africa.

The medical expert noted that infectious diseases often kept children away from school and adults from their work.

According to Ujah, the economic loss caused by infectious diseases is enormous as it “cements poverty and under-development” in many regions of the world, especially Africa.

He said that through research, new information on infectious could be generated to influence health policies, develop interventions, products and actions.

Mr Bright Echefu, Executive Officer of GWS Health Care, said the group was a major supporter of public health in Nigeria and in other developing countries.

According to him, the group works to shape global health agenda and influence policy at national and international levels.

The conference was organised by GWB Health Care.