MINISTER OF DEFENCE LAUDS 15 YEARS PARTNERSHIP WITH WRAIR

Minister of Defence Major General Basir Salihi Magashi has lauded the U.S. Department of Defense’s Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) for 15 years successful partnership with the Nigerian Ministry of Defence (NMOD) Health Implementation Program (MODHIP).

The minister made the commendation when he received the Institute’s delegation in his office in Abuja.

He intimated the team to explore options to expand programmatic implementation to other diseases especially the recent outbreak of Corona virus (COVID 19) which has become a global concern.

In her remarks the Commander Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Colonel Deydre Teyhen stated that the institute and the Nigerian Ministry of Defence would continue to help soldiers and their families to live healthy for effective security delivery and create economic and political stability for Nigeria.

According to her “This program has grown very quickly – from just a handful of sites supported in HIV prevention, care, and treatment, to a national footprint with some of the best quality healthcare to Nigerians, strong laboratory capability, and growing strength in addressing emerging infectious diseases and biosecurity.”

The NMOD and WRAIR partnership started in 2005 in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nigeria, to deliver comprehensive HIV prevention, care, and treatment within the military community.  The partnership, having grown from four military facilities to 40 sites across the country, now maintains HIV-related healthcare and has also strengthens the response to other infectious diseases within and outside Nigeria