COVID-19: Experts in health research, development to access N550m CBN’s grant

TRACKING___The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said experts in health research and development are to access a total sum of N550million grants needed to tackle coronavirus.

The apex bank in its “healthcare research and development grant guidelines”, the report stated that the grant limit include a maximum of N50 million for research activities and maximum of N500 million for development/Manufacturing activities.

The guideline disclosed that “disbursement under the Scheme shall be made to beneficiaries in tranches subject to approved milestones achieved.”

The apex bank in its guidelines said “part of its policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic introduces the Healthcare Sector Research and Development Intervention Scheme (HSRDIS) to help strengthen the public healthcare system with innovative financing of research and development (R&D) in new and improved drugs, vaccines and diagnostics of infectious diseases in Nigeria.

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“Specifically, the HSRDIS is designed to trigger intense national R&D activities to develop a Nigerian vaccine, drugs and herbal medicines against the spread of COVID-19 and any other communicable or non-communicable diseases through the provision of grants to biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies, institutions, researchers, and research institutes for the research and development of drugs, herbal medicines and vaccines for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.

“The Scheme is intended to boost domestic manufacturing of critical drugs and vaccines to ensure their sustainable domestic supply and reduce the bulk manufacturing costs of the drugs, herbal medicines and vaccines in Nigeria.”

The CBN said objectives of the scheme include providing grants for R&D in new or revalidation of drug molecule, phytomedicines and vaccines for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in Nigeria; boosting domestic manufacturing of validated drugs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients or APIs), herbal medicines and vaccines for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in Nigeria and classified as confidential reduce the nation’s dependence on other countries for these drugs and vaccines.

Others include, improving the capacity of the biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies, institutions, researchers, and research institutes in the development of approved Nigerian drugs, herbal medicines and vaccines for infectious diseases and supporting capacity of relevant health agencies towards attaining WHO Maturity Level 3, a prerequisite for manufacturing of vaccines in Nigeria.

On eligible research and development activities, the guideline by CBN stated that research and development of candidate drugs, herbal medicines and vaccines validated by relevant health authorities for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases; Manufacturing of drugs, herbal medicines and vaccines validated by relevant health authorities for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and Red biotechnological R&D in the new health technology for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.