Roche, a Swiss multinational healthcare company, says it is in partnership with the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, to equip its research team with necessary skills to compete with others internationally.
Mrs Huwaida Bulhan, Senior Clinical Research Operations Lead, Africa Area, Roche, made this known at the kick-off of the Roche site alliance project on Friday in Ibadan.
Bulhan said that the site alliance project was set up to shape the healthcare ecosystem by providing capacity to bridge the gap in diversity and inclusion of Africans in clinical research.
She said UCH, Ibadan is among the four Centres of Excellence in Africa selected and currently undergoing Roche capacity building in site development programme.
Bulhan expressed the readiness of Roche to demonstrate what Africa was capable of doing through its partnership with UCH and other health organisations.
She added that UCH would soon be a major source of opportunities for other institutions in Africa.
According to her, we are ready to demonstrate what Africans are capable of doing.
“Our organisation has a long term plan for this project. This is not only limited to Roche, it is to give UCH, Nigeria and Africa a platform to open door of opportunities for others.
“The capacity building is not only for research, but it will translate to quality healthcare in UCH.
“The project will give practitioners within the institution the opportunity to get access to innovative diagnostics and therapeutic products before they are commercially available in the country.
“Roche, through UCH, is going to motivate other centres in Nigeria, and we believe that once it is well done in UCH, other centres will follow suit,” she said.
Also, on the project, the Medical Director, Roche, Bolarinwa Oyedeji, said that the project currently running in Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco and South Africa, would be a win for all parties.
“This project has been put together to create a kind of foundation and a network of site across countries in Africa.
“The reason we are doing this is to ensure that we have a win for our patients, for the institution, health practitioners and even for ROCHE.
“We are trying to build capacity and capability within the institution, enabling our institution to be ready for global clinical trials,” Oyedeji said.
In his remarks, Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, the Chief Medical Director of UCH, said the hospital has embraced the new development, assuring Roche of maximum support that would make the project to be a success.
Otegbayo, represented by Dr Abiodun Adeoye, the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), said: “It gladdens our heart that we will be the first and the only one for now in Nigeria to become Centre of Excellence for this project in Africa.
“We all know that the way people respond to medication differs based on their genetic make-up and gender, their implications.
“I can assure you that, as an institution, we have the capacity as in structure and human capacity available for training.
“We have people here who are clinical trial specialists and many more who are involved in clinical trial.
“The project is a welcome development and we will gladly embrace it.
“I can assure you, we would support you wholeheartedly with everything that will ensure success of this project,” he said.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria