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More than 2000 households have received foodstuff and capacity building on sustainable nutrition services from the Emergency Food Relief Program implemented by the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN). The program aimed to combat food insecurity and improve nutrition among at-risk families in 17 local government areas in the Federal Capital Territory and Nasarawa State.

IHVN Director, Prevention, Care and Treatment, Dr. Helen Omuh revealed this at the close-out meeting of the program in Abuja, Nigeria.  She added that “households were carefully selected based on vulnerability assessments designed to address the urgent hunger crisis in vulnerable communities, the project focused on children aged 0-17 years and vulnerable caregivers, ensuring that the most food-insecure households received direct support. Throughout the initiative, 5,000 households were screened, with 2,500 of the most at-risk families selected across 12 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nasarawa and 5 LGAs in FCT.”

Dr. Omuh explained that “the program’s impact extended beyond food distribution and incorporated community awareness campaigns, distribution of Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials to promote sustainable nutrition practices and training with food demonstration sessions with 2,500 caregivers on meal planning, dietary diversity, and nutritious food preparation for long-term benefits to their families.

IHVN Program Manager, Dr. Victoria Igbinomwanhia, highlighted the program’s comprehensive approach. “Beyond providing immediate relief, we empowered caregivers with the knowledge to sustain healthy nutrition habits. This program was not just about food, it was about fostering resilience within these communities.”

“All food items including rice, beans, vegetables, fruits, eggs, oil, milk, and beverages were locally sourced to support the economy and maintain the highest quality for beneficiaries,” she added.

Project beneficiaries said that the project impacted the well-being of their families. Halima Sauidu from Gaibu community in Nasarawa State said, “This support has given us hope. Not only did we receive food, but we also learned how to combine these items for a balanced, healthy meal.” Another beneficiary, Stella Eden, described the impact on her children, “thanks to IHVN, my children can now be healthy and do well in school.”

The program was implemented with funding support from Gesundes Africa – Sternstunden, Germany.

In fostering an excellent work culture and staff performance, the Executive Management of the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has initiated the “Employee Recognition Awards” to recognize “Employees of the Month” and “Employee of the Year.”

According to the IHVN Director of Finance and Administration, Mr. Olu Alabi, this recognition covers overall employee performance in dressing, innovation, teamwork, productivity, efficiency, leadership and interpersonal skills, punctuality, and adherence to company values and principles, amongst other things.

For January 2025, IHVN Celebrates, Adebola Raji, Victoria Etuk, Teclaire Ngo- Ndomb, Collins-Kalu Derby, Bang Logams, Adeyinka Modupe Owoade, Olufemi Ogundiran, Shiedu Abdulrahman, Ismail Ahmed Tijjani and Tuamsen Shindes whose performance stood out in their teams.

Three hearty cheers to our January star performers!

To commemorate World Cancer Day 2024, the International Research Center of Excellence (IRCE) at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) is set to organize a road walk in Piwoyi community along the airport road in Abuja on Friday, 7^th February 2025.

According to IRCE NORA Project Coordinator, Ms Tope Olukomogbon,  the walk aims at “raising awareness about cancer prevention, early detection and treatment and reinforcing our collective commitment to fight against cancer.”

Ms. Olukomogbon stated that the Institute is actively engaged in high-quality cancer research to improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment outcomes.

“IHVN is engaged in research initiatives such as the Network for Oncology Research in Africa, which is a five-year research initiative focused on reducing breast and cervical cancer mortality in Africa. There is also the SHERLOCK Lung study that seeks to investigate the risk factors and progression of lung cancer in both smokers and never smokers,” she said.

She noted that the Institute remains committed to combating cancer through research, advocacy, and intervention programs.

“As the world observes World Cancer Day, 2025, our goal is to continue bringing together communities, policymakers, health care providers, and researchers in the fight against cancer,” she said.

Click here to download World Cancer Day Pamphlet

EQUAL Researchers at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) have called on the government and policymakers to improve the working conditions of midwives in conflict-affected areas to address poor maternal and newborn health outcomes in the country.

They made this call during a stakeholder meeting to disseminate research findings from Ensuring Quality Access and learning for Mothers and their Newborns in Conflict Affected Context (EQUAL) Consortium research focused on midwifery participation, retention, and resilience in Yobe State.

Principal Investigator of EQUAL at IHVN, Prof. Emilia Iwu stated that Nigeria has only six midwives per 10,000 people with the deficit worse in the North-East which has been affected by Boko Haram Insurgency.

Prof. Iwu who was represented at the dissemination event by EQUAL Project Co-Investigator, Dr. Charity Maina said that “conflict has caused widespread economic hardship, food insecurity, displacement of residents and health workers, and severe disruption of healthcare delivery, including the destruction and closure of some health centers. These factors have complicated efforts to recruit and retain midwives.

Initial study findings from our qualitative study underscore the need for targeted support and intervention to improve midwifery retention and support in rural and hard-to-reach communities,” she said.

The researchers highlighted the need for government and policymakers to strengthen midwifery education, improve working conditions through incentives, develop management guidelines, address misconceptions, and enhance safety training.

“The country needs to prioritize increased salaries, hazard allowances, secure transportation, and housing, and establish mentorship programs to continually support midwives in high-risk areas,” Dr. Maina stressed.

The researchers further noted the need for a clear career progression pathway for midwives and an extension of hospital postings with hands-on practice for thorough training to increase the confidence of midwives.

On security training, the researchers recommended training midwives on personal security, emergency protocols, psychological support, mental health check-ups, and peer support groups.

At the meeting, IHVN Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director, Dr. Charles Olalekan Mensah, gave the opening remarks. He welcomed participants and emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts in strengthening MNCH services

The dissemination event brought together representatives from international partners, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Yobe State Ministry of Health, amongst others to discuss research findings and share insights on the recommendations. 

EQUAL is a multi-country research consortium generating evidence on effective approaches to deliver life-saving maternal and newborn health care in countries affected by conflict. IHVN is participating in this research funded by UK Department for International Development (DFID) and led by the International Rescue Committee -IRC. Other EQUAL partners are the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and its university-wide Center for Humanitarian Health, the Somali Research and Development Institute, and Université Catholique de Bukavu (Democratic Republic of Congo). The project is aimed at identifying and filling evidence gaps that could ultimately improve policies, programming, and outcomes for mothers and newborns.

In furtherance of its mission to enhance capacity building, research, and public health excellence, the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has begun the construction of a five-story Learning and Development Center at its campus in Abuja.

The facility will contain cutting-edge amenities, including a 1,000-seat multipurpose hall, advanced training and meeting rooms, a modern library, and an e-learning center. It will also serve as a central hub for advanced training programs, promoting knowledge exchange and professional development for healthcare professionals both within Nigeria and internationally.

IHVN Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Patrick Dakum noted that the center will be equipped to host both short-term and long-term training programs in collaboration with international institutions such as the University of Maryland and Rutgers University.

“We already have a number of institutions that are doing courses like Diploma and  Masters in Public Health. We are now going to be looking at how we can also hone that in into a diploma, degree and post graduate degrees in implementation science,” he said.

IHVN Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director, Dr. Charles Olalekan Mensah, said the Center is part of IHVN’s long-term commitment to addressing knowledge gaps, mitigating brain drain, and strengthening Nigeria’s public health workforce.

“This facility will play a pivotal role in training the next generation of healthcare professionals and researchers, ensuring that Nigeria continues to lead in public health interventions.”

During the first technical meeting for the project, IHVN Director of Finance and Administration, Mr. Olu Alabi, urged  Lubell Nigeria Ltd to adhere to project timelines and leverage lessons learned from construction of the IHVN seven-storey twin towers which they built.

The Learning and Development Center is scheduled to be operational within 24 months, with full completion anticipated within 36 months.