Clinical Trials Of COVID-19 Vaccines To Begin In Nigeria - WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) disclosed that Nigeria has shown keen interest to be part of the global solidarity trial of the vaccines being developed to combat COVID-19.

Speaking on Friday at the presidential task force (PTF) briefing on COVID-19,  Fiona Braka, WHO official in Nigeria, said efforts are ongoing to start the process in the country.

She said more than 100 countries have joined the solidarity clinical trial, which was launched by WHO and some partners, to help find an effective treatment for COVID-19.

She added that a total of 89 vaccines are being developed globally, including seven in clinical evaluation and several therapeutics in clinical trials.

Fiona Braka Said,

“Nigeria has also expressed interest to be part of this solidarity trial and efforts are underway to start the process in Nigeria too."

“Together with global health actors and partners, over the past week, WHO launched the access to COVID-19 tools ACT accelerator, a global collaboration to accelerate development for equitable access to new COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.

“We have a total of 89 vaccines that are in development globally, including seven in clinical evaluation and several therapeutics are in clinical trials. WHO is committed to ensuring that as medicines and vaccines are developed, they are shared equitably with all countries and people.

“We do have the solidarity trial which is an international clinical trial to help find an effective treatment for COVID-19, launched by the WHO and partners. More than 100 countries have joined the solidarity trial and to date, over 1,200 patients have been randomized from the first five countries to evaluate the safety and efficacy of full drug and drug combinations.”

Result released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control NCDC on Friday, revealed 2,170 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the country.