#COVID19Plateau: GOV. LALONG INAUGURATES RESEARCH TEAM ON CORONA VIRUS AND OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES

GOVERNOR LALONG INAUGURATES RESEARCH TEAM ON CORONA VIRUS AND OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Governor Simon Bako Lalong has inaugurated a Special Committee for Research on Corona Virus and other Infectious Diseases in Plateau State.

At the inauguration of the team at the Government House in Rayfield, the Governor said although the State has had to deal with many infectious diseases in the past, it has not been confronted with anything like the Corona Virus Pandemic in recent history.
He said” Indeed, our generation is facing perhaps one of its most difficult times.

Clearly, COVID-19 has reminded us of the need to be proactive in not only upgrading our medical facilities and improving manpower, but also working ahead to develop preventive and curative capacity for infectious diseases”.

He charged the members who comprise of researchers from various tertiary institutions within the State, to work hard in utilizing the human and material resources available in Plateau State that are capable of giving solutions for the treatment of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 that State and Nation is dealing with today.

“It is a known fact that Plateau State is endowed with herbal and medicinal products that could be harnessed towards building our capacity to withstand the threat of diseases such as the Corona Virus if, and when they spring up.

Therefore, we must not only look inwards to find a solution to the current COVID-19 challenge, but also use today’s experience to prepare for the future in order to avoid panic and desperation”.

Governor Lalong charged them to be diligent in carrying out this special assignment, and to have at the back of your minds that at the long run, all efforts should lead us towards establishing a modern infectious diseases hospital in Plateau State.

The Committee’s Terms of Reference include:
(a) To Search for conventional and/or alternative drugs for the treatment and cure of the Corona virus.
(b) Design treatment protocols for the treatment of the virus.
(c)Conduct clinical trials on the candidate drug (s).
(d) Design control mechanism for the spread of the virus.
(e) Any other design that will curtail the pandemic and subsequent diseases.

The Committee has one week to present a proposal to Government. Within three weeks, Government will be expecting a draft of research prospects, while fortnightly; a progress report should be submitted.

Membership of the Committee is as follows:

Prof Noel N. Wannang- Pharmacology & Toxicology, Unijos –Lead Researcher
Prof Jacob A. Kolawole – Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Unijos
Dr Falang Kakjing – Pharmacology Dept. Unijos
Prof James Damen – Medical Lab Science, Unijos
Dr Yusuf Agabi – Virology Unit, Dept of Microbiology, Unijos
Dr Richard J Kutshik – Dept. of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, Unijos.
Dr Bukar Bukata – Pharmacology, Unijos
Dr Ajima Ukpe – Medicinal & Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Unijos
Dr Ken Amagon – Pharmacology & Toxicology, Unijos
Dr Longdet I. Yohanna – Biochemistry, Unijos
Representative of the Plateau State Ministry of Health
Representative from the Infectious Unit of Medicine Department, JUTH.
Representative from Veterinary Research Institute, Vom.

Dr. Makut Simon Macham, ANIPR
Director of Press & Public Affairs to Governor, Plateau State
18th May, 2020.