MHRP Nigeria, known locally as the Walter Reed Program-Nigeria, has cultivated a strong partnership with the Nigerian Armed Forces to implement a comprehensive HIV prevention, care and treatment program supported by PEPFAR. Since WRP-Nigeria began in 2005, the program has developed leadership, clinical, laboratory and logistical capabilities within both military and civilian populations to strengthen health systems and infrastructure for long term sustainability.
MHRP began working in Nigeria to help build a sustainable research infrastructure for HIV vaccine trials. Those research efforts leveraged the MHRP partnership with the Nigerian Ministry of Defence (NMOD) to implement PEPFAR-supported HIV prevention, care and treatment programs.
The Government of Nigeria officially opened a new Clinical Research Center (CRC) in 2015 in Abuja to conduct vaccine studies. The CRC supports cohort studies and clinical trials for MHRP as well as other infectious disease investigations led by WRAIR. A joint military-to-military collaboration, the CRC's clinical laboratory receives support from the Nigerian Defence Reference Laboratory, a 5-star and ISO 15189 accredited laboratory situated at the nearby Mogadishu Barracks.
The CRC conducted the first Ebola vaccine study in Nigeria, a phase 2 study of the ChAd3-EBO-Z candidate vaccine. They enrolled 330 participants in the multi-site study, exceeding enrollment expectations for Nigeria, and had retention of 99.4% of participants through 12 months. Since then, they have successfully conducted a second Ebola vaccine study and have studies planned to investigate other emerging infectious diseases.
HIV Research
MHRP Nigeria helped conduct the RV368/TRUST cohort study among sexual and gender minority populations at risk for HIV in Nigeria in collaboration with the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland, Population Council, and Johns Hopkins University. It also supports the African Cohort Study (AFRICOS), with sites in Abuja and Lagos participating in this multinational, PEPFAR-supported, HIV-focused longitudinal study.
Upcoming Studies
- Epidemiologic studies including an observational study of Lassa disease prevalence and incidence
- Clinical trials of vaccine candidates for multiple infectious diseases and an investigational new drug for monkeypox