Ebola: Experts task scientists on research findings

As the Federal Government continued to battle with the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in the country, medical have urged Nigerian scientists to publicise their findings for the good of the populace and for national development.

In the views of a Virologist, Professor Oyewale Tomori  who spoke at a two- workshop organised by the Health Policy and Systems Research Group of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR in Lagos entitled: Disseminating of Findings on Health Research in Nigeria” lamented  non publication of research works done by Nigerian scientists.

According to him, ‘many Nigerian scientists carry out researches and lock themselves up in the test tube of their research without letting anybody know what they have done.
Tomori who is also the President of the Nigerian Academy of Science, noted that at the university of Ibadan, there are over 5000 researches and findings on malaria and yet people are still getting malaria.

His words, ‘’Publicising and letting people know will show our and make people appreciate our relevance, ‘’he said.
Tomori also advised researchers and scientists to always lias with politicians and policy makers to attract political will and commitment to research.
He stressed the need for researchers not to shy away from approaching politicians who have all it takes to support their works.

‘’We need to engage the policy makers and politicians so that our research works will be properly be put to use for the good of the people. ‘These politicians have the power and money and until we explain and relate what we do to them, they will not know.
Speaking, the Director-General of NIMR, Prof. Innocent Ujah said that the status of health research in the country called for concern.

Ujah said that the continuous frustration of officers in the Planning Research and Statistics in Healthy Ministry overt non-budget of research had resulted in duplicity of research outcomes for one disease condition.
He said that inadequate funding of health research affected quality of data use for planning and development in the health sector.

“I am calling on government at all levels to funding health research to generate information that will serve as evidence for informed decision making in policy formulation and implementation.”

Earlier, the Head of Health Policy and Systems Research Group of NIMR, Dr. Margaret Mafe said that the lack of a National Health Research Policy has continued to mitigate against effective engagement of donor presence nationally.

Mafe said that the critical components of conducting research in informing policy and practice was sufficient funding. ‘’It is imperative that the nation provides necessary funding to drive research in support of its weak health system. ‘This will improve the health of the population and achieve its developmental goals that will improve health outcomes in Nigeria ‘’she said

- Culled from: http://www.vanguardngr.com