NPHCDA, NPIRD partner to improve health innovation

National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has collaborated with the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) to improve the implementation of evidence-based innovations in the health sector of Nigeria.

Speaking during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two agencies in Abuja on Wednesday, the Executive Director/CEO of NPHCDA, Dr. Muyi Aina said, this is a mutually beneficial partnership that will further strengthen two critical organizations in the area of research and development, capacity building, evidence-based innovations, and availability of critical information for decision making.

The Executive Director stressed that the collaboration on research is in furtherance of the NPHCDA strategic blueprint.

“As part of our priorities, we are developing robust research and learning agenda that will enable evidence generation and learning into implementation of the NPHCDA strategy.”

He urged all stakeholders to the MoU to be transparent, accountable and committed to the terms of the partnership to achieve the collective vision of transforming Nigeria into an internationally recognized centre of excellence in access to quality healthcare.

Also speaking, the Director-General of NIPRD, Dr. Adigwe Peter Obi, said there is hardly a village where the presence of NPHCDA is not felt in Nigeria, hence, the need for evidence-based data to allow for critical decision-making.

He maintained that the two agencies should be able to use scarce resources efficiently and effectively to be able to significantly improve on delivery of interventions.

Dr. Adigwe observed that across the entire research value chain, there are big opportunities for NIPRD and NPHCDA to work together, especially in the area of capacity building.

He called on parties to the MoU to explore means for a joint quarterly or bi-annual presentation of policy implications of interventions that are coming out from the collaboration during the ministerial briefing or at engagements with the Nigerian Governor’s Forum.