IPNEWS: By Socrates Smythe Saywon
IPNEWS: The Africa for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has officially designated Liberia’s National Public Health Institute Director-General Dr. Dougbeh Christopher Nyan as Champion of Biomedical Research for Liberia in the West African Region.
“We are selecting renowned Scientists and critical mass of leaders across Africa to serve as our Champions. Hence, the entire Science Directory of the Africa CDC has agreed to select you as our key Science Champion for Liberia in West Africa,” said the email communication from the Africa CDC in Addis Abba.
In this role, Dr. Nyan, a globally renowned biomedical scientist and inventor, will work with the Africa CDC National Coordinator, Dr. Bakary Sonko, to identify research institutions in Liberia and the region, ensure they have the tools for an assessment and validation exercises aim at gearing up for intensive research in genetic mapping of diseases during outbreak preparedness and response, experimenting with diagnostic tools development and vaccine production, and addressing prevalent non-communicable diseases, among others.
This prestigious selection of Dr. Nyan as Africa CDC Champion of Research recognizes his rapid achievement at the NPHIL where Dr. Nyan has instituted the Genomic Sequencing technology, trained about 30 Field Frontline and Intermediate Epidemiologist, and increased the diagnostic and research personnel from 5 to 25 young scientists.
Dr. Nyan has acquired over $275, 000 worth of Emergency Operation equipment from the Africa CDC for the NPHIL, effectively mobilized renewed partners’ support for the NPHIL, implemented proactive cross-border collaboration with the public health entities of Sierra Leone and La Cote D’Iviore, simultaneously responding to Lassa, Measles, Mpox and other disease outbreaks, while bring Liberia’s active Mpox cases down to Zero (0) for the second time within 6 months of his leadership at NPHIL.
“I accept this designation as Africa CDC Champion of Research as challenge to work harder and reaffirm my continuous commitment to advancing public health in Liberia and across the African continent, and contribute to global health security,” Dr. Nyan said.
Country representatives of the Africa-CDC, US-CDC, WHO, AFENET, and the National One-Health Coordinator congratulated to Dr. Nyan.
