JOINT WEST AFRICA RESEARCH GROUP (JWARG): A MILITARY SUPPORT OF CIVILIAN COLLEAGUES AFTER 2014-2016 WEST AFRICA EBOLA OUTBREAK 2018 ASSOCIATION OF MILITARY SURGEONS OF UNITED STATES (AMSUS) MEETING BY BRIG GEN NURUDEEN HUSSAIN DSS MBBS, MPH, FWACP, FMCPH DIRECTOR GENERAL NIGERIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE HEALTH IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM 5-Dec-18 1
GLOBAL HEALTH RISKS ARE INCREASING ALARMINGLY AND THE TIME FOR DECISIVE ACTION IS NOW!!! Anonymous EBOLA MENINGITIS LASSA FEVER YELLOW FEVER TUBERCULOSIS HIV/AIDS MALARIA HYPERTENSION DIABETES INJURIES MALNUTRITION 3384 GRAVES OF EBOLA VICTIMS AT DISCO HILL CEMETRY LIBERIA: 5-Dec-18 2
CHALLENGES REVEALED AND STRATEGIES IMPLEMENTED TO CONTAIN FUTURE OUTBREAK IN WEST AFRICA CHALLENGES Limited knowledge about local microbial epidemiology and ecology High risk of wide and rapid dissemination of Infectious disease outbreaks Weak disease surveillance mechanisms and country s health system Low capabilities to detect pathogens that cause severe illness in West Africa Weak Laboratory capabilities (in terms of human resource and diagnostic equipment) STRATEGIES Strengthen the mechanisms for rapid response to public health emergencies through partnership: NCDC, NACA, PMI, NTBLCP, AFENET, ACEGID, APORA Workforce Development Establishment of the Joint West Africa Research Group (JWARG) Strengthening Laboratory capabilities Need for a survey to determine the prevalence and incidence of infectious diseases of severe acute illnesses in West Africa JOINT WEST AFRICA RESEARCH GROUP (JWARG): LAUNCHED IN JUNE 2016 IN NIGERIA Leverage the existing PEPFAR platform TRAINING: SUPPORTED BY NMOD- DoDWRP-N Real Time Surveillance Training: OCID Biosafety / Biosecurity training including IPC Malaria, TB Diagnosis Training Training of Military personnel on outbreak detection and response Military personnel as Frontline DSNOs in crisis-ridden and hard-to-reach areas Military engagement in Measles and Polio immunization Deployment of Military health personnel at POEs (air, land, sea) COLLABORATION: National Public Health Labs and existing military laboratories (repositories, reinforces capability in detection and shared biomedical engineering capabilities) 3
UNITED STATES JWARG MILITARY MEDICAL PARTNERSHIPS RESEARCH: Titled Severe Infectious Diseases: Surveillance, Detection in West Africa ((RV 466) Clinical Training and Investigators Meeting for the JWARG, executing studies characterizing severe infectious diseases in the region. 4
OUTBREAK MGT TRAINING FOR UNIFORM PERSONNEL :OOCTOBER 18 PMI : 313 CIVILIANS TRAINED ON MALARIA DIAGNOSIS TRAINING IN MILITARY LAB FACILITY SINCE 2015 STRENGHTENING DIAGNOSIS OF VHFs HIV/TB MANAGEMENT REVIEW MEETING: FEBRUARY 2017 5-Dec-18 5
INFECTIOUS DISEASES DO NOT RESPECT BORDERS Question: Can we expand the horizon of intervention? If you want to go far, go together African adage 5-Dec-18 6
APPRECIATION Ministries of Defense (Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia) Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) US Naval Medical Research Center US Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center (AFHSC) US Naval Medical Research Unit 3 (NAMRU-3), US Global Emerging Infection Surveillance (GEIS) ACEGID Redeemer s University, Nigeria University of Nebraska Medical Centre US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) 5-Dec-18 7