IHVN seeks greater collaboration with NAN

By Abujah Racheal

The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has expressed commitment to greater collaboration with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on infectious diseases awareness and quality health services for Nigerians.

The Chief Executive Officer of the institute, Dr Patrick Dakum, expressed the organisation’s commitment when he paid a courtesy visit to the Managing Director of NAN, Mr Buki Ponle, on Thursday in Abuja.

Dakum, who commended NAN “for the prompt and accurate dissemination of news to Nigerians”, added that IHVN had collaborated with NAN for more than 12  years and had been enjoying and benefiting fro services given it by the agency.

He said, “We’re hoping that this is something that we will continue to build on.

“We want to continue to see how using the NAN medium will ensure timely information for Nigerians to live healthy lives free of diseases and be able to access treatment.”

The NAN managing director, while congratulating the IHVN boss on the institute’s new campus in Abuja, expressed the hope that it would provide a platform for collaborative research and partnerships for quality health service for Nigerians.

He assured IHVN of continuous cooperation and reportage of health issues, care, treatment, capacity building and research into communicable and non-communicable diseases in the country.

Ponle said that research institutes were like the backbone of a healthy nation and IHVN was not an exception.

He added that “I believe with increased funding, Nigeria has the manpower and resources to be as developed as other nations of the world.”

He noted that “NAN is a home for solution journalism; home for positive reporting and home for development communication.

“We always try to see the positive side of issues, discuss and package reports to ensure that we do the best for the country.” (NAN)