On-going Projects

HJF Medical Research International LTDGte funded Programs/Projects

HJF Medical Research International Ltd Gte (HJFMRI Ltd Gte), in collaboration with the Military HIV Research Program (MHRP), remains committed to advancing HIV/AIDS care and treatment services. This objective is realized through the implementation of various programs and projects facilitated by personnel managed by Health Initiatives for Safety and Stability in Africa (HIFASS).

In October 2024, HIFASS signed five contracts with HJFMRI Ltd Gte to continue providing personnel management services in Nigeria. This agreement ensures the uninterrupted delivery of HIV/AIDS care and treatment services, with HIFASS maintaining responsibility for recruiting and managing personnel under the supervision of the Department of Defense Walter Reed Program-Nigeria (DOD WRP-N) and HJFMRI Ltd Gte.

Contracts and Funding

1. EID042 MPOX Seroprevalence Study:

The project aims to provide Personnel Management Services in Nigeria to ensure continued services for the EID042 MPOX Seroprevalence study in both Abuja and Lagos.

Awarding Agency: U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity (USAMRAA) HJFMRI Ltd Gte Award.

Period of Performance: Modified from October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025 to October 1, 2024 – September 29, 2025.

Funding: NGN 27,631,537.65 is added for the supplemental study for the period from October 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025. The total funded amount of NGN 25,014,819.21 has been increased by NGN 27,631,537.65 thus increasing the total funding amount to NGN 52,646,356.86.

Scope of Work:

VDP -HIFASS provides personnel, manpower and technical assistance to MNOD-supported facilities in resource insecure geographical areas for military hospitals across Nigeria where research projects are domicile.

VDP (MPOX Seroprevalence) -The Mpox Sero-prevalence protocol (EID 042) is a community-based cross-sectional study that will be implemented in rural and semi-urban communities in Six (6) Primary Health care centers (PHC) Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Ikorodu Local Government Area (L.G.A) in Lagos State.

2. U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

The aim of the project is to provide personnel management services in Nigeria to ensure continued services for HIV/AIDS care including TB/HIV and site level implementation science research activities.

Awarding Institution: HJF Medical Research International LTD, Gte.

Funding: NGN 740,009,649.00

Scope of Work:

PEPFAR HIFASS provides personnel, manpower and technical assistance to 32 NMOD-supported health facilities across Nigeria.

Place of Performance: The place of performance for the provision of personnel management services in Nigeria to ensure continued services for HIV/AIDS care and treatment will be at 32 military treatment facilities across 17 states in Nigeria with oversight by HJFMRI Ltd Gte/WRP N.

The period of performance for this effort shall align with the prime award.

3. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI):

The HJF Medical Research International Ltd Gte (HJFMRI Ltd / Gte.) in collaboration and partnership with President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) funded by United States for International Development (USAID) to strengthen and improve reliability, accuracy and quality of malaria diagnosis in Nigeria.

The objectives of the malaria program include strengthening and expand capacity of Medical Laboratory Professionals on reliable and accurate malaria diagnosis, Strengthen Quality Control and Quality Assurance systems for malaria diagnosis as well as establish and maintain functional National Malaria Slide Bank (NMSB) in Nigeria. HIFASS would support health facilities level implementation of various programs / project activities to ensure continued and sustained the PMI objectives in supported states in Nigeria.

Prime Award Awarding Agency (“Awarding Agency”) : USAMRAA

Period of Performance: The period of performance for this effort would be October 1 2024 through September 30 2025.

Funding : NGN 25,014,819.21

Scope of Work:

PMI HIFASS provides qualified and competent human resources for health, manage the employees, coordinate health facilities level implementation and technical support to 5 PMI supported health facilities in three states (Lagos, Benue and Akwa Ibom) in Nigeria.

4. The African Cohort Study (AFRICOS):

RV 329 AFRICOS study activities have been ongoing at DHQ Medical Centre Abuja and 68 Nigeria Army Reference Hospital Yaba (68 NARHY), Lagos. The African Cohort Study (AFRICOS) is a prospective cohort enrolling participant at risk for HIV. HIFASS provides personnel, manpower, and technical assistance to HJFMRI study sites through the enrollment of AFRICOS participants from health facility clinic patient populations.

Funding: NGN 146,760,711.88

Period of Performance: October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025, (base plus 4- 1 year options).

Project Activity FY 25:

Provision of personnel management services in Nigeria by Health Initiatives for Safety in Africa (HIFASS) to ensure continued services for RV329/AFRICOS and site-level implementation science research activities at DHQ Medical Center, Abuja, and 68 NARHY Lagos.

5. Global Emerging Infections Surveillance (GEIS):

The U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency, Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division, Global Emerging Infections Surveillance (GEIS) Program is the primary funding entity for disease surveillance activities of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research – Africa (WRAIR-Africa). The mission of GEIS is to increase battlespace awareness and improve Total Force Readiness in support of the unified Combatant Commands through a global laboratory network focused on mitigating the threat of emerging infectious diseases to US service members.

Awarding Institution: HJF Medical Research International Ltd./ Gte.

Contract Amount: NGN 4,620,000.00

Period of Performance: Base Period: December 2, 2024- June 30, 2025.

Scope of Work:

The aim of this agreement is to provide Personnel Management Services in Nigeria to ensure continued services for surveillance of emerging infections threatening the health of the force and military operations.

Personnel Management

HIFASS is currently responsible for managing personnel for HJFMRI Ltd Gte's projects, ensuring the provision of comprehensive HIV/AIDS care and treatment services across 32 WRP-N/NMOD sites, 4 state general hospitals, and 1 Innovation center in Abuja. These efforts facilitate research and strengthen service delivery in HIV/AIDS care.

S/N

State

Sites/Offices

1

FCT

·       HIFASS HQ

·       Health Innovation Center (MPOX)

1. Defence Headquarters Medical Centre Abuja

2. 063 Nigerian Airforce Hospital Abuja

3. Guards Brigade Medical Center, Abuja

2

Kaduna

4. Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Kaduna

5. 463 Nigerian Airforce Hospital Kaduna

3

Kano

6. Armed Forces Specialist Hospital Kano

4

Sokoto

7. 1 Division Hospital Sokoto

5

Borno

8. 7 Division Hospital Maiduguri

6

Bauchi

9. 33 Artillery Brigade Medical Centre Bauchi

7

Benue

10. 161 Nigerian Airforce Hospital Makurdi

- BSUTH(PMI)

- General Hospital, Wununne (PMI)

8

Plateau

11. 563 Nigerian Airforce Hospital Jos

12. 3 Division Hospital Rukuba

9

Anambra

13. 302 Medical Reception Station Onitsha

10

Enugu

14. 82 Division Hospital Enugu

11

Imo

15. 34 Brigade Medical Centre Owerri

12

Cross River

16. Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital Calabar

13

Delta

17. Nigerian Navy Hospital Warri

14

Edo

18. Military Hospital Benin

15

Rivers

19. Military Hospital Port Harcourt

20. Nigerian Naval Medical Centre Onne

21. Nigerian Medical Center Borokiri, Rivers State

22. Nigerian Airforce Reference Hospital Port Harcourt

16

Akwa Ibom 23. 6 Battalion MRS Ibagwa Abak

23. 6 Battalion MRS Ibagwa Abak,

24. Nigerian Navy Jubilee FOB Sick bay Ikot Abasi

25. Nigeria Navy FOB Ibaka

- General Hospital, Ikot Ekpene

- General Hospital, Ikpe Anang

17

Lagos

26. 661 Nigerian Airforce Hospital Ikeja

27. Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital Ojo

28. 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Yaba

29. Military Hospital Creek VI

30. Nigerian Medical Center Obisesan Apapa

18

Oyo

31. 2 Division Hospital Ibadan

19

Adamawa

32. 23 Bridge Medical Center Yola

 

HIFASS is presently overseeing the management of more than 122 personnel across five contracts, including its headquarters.

Completed Projects

LASSA EPI (EID 023)

Commencing in October 2022, this community-based cross-sectional study aimed to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors of Lassa virus (LASV) infection in Ikorodu Local Government Area (Lagos State). The protocol's successful implementation concluded in July 2023, leading to the initiation of the MPOX study.

Research RV-466

Beginning in 2017, this study on Severe Infectious Disease Surveillance and Detection in West Africa was conducted at 161 Nigerian Airforce Hospital Makurdi and 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Yaba. The study, supported by HIFASS health professionals, explored the infectious causes and frequencies of severe acute illnesses. The implementation ended in Makurdi in April 2021 and in Yaba in October 2022, transitioning to the LASSA Epi protocol.

Local OVC Partners in Nigeria Region 3 (HIFASS-LOPIN 3)

Health Initiatives for Safety and Stability in Africa - Local OVC Partners in Nigeria Region 3 (HIFASS-LOPIN 3) started in 2014 as a five-year USAID-funded project, implementing the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) program in Cross River and Ebonyi States, with the goal of mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS on children and their households.

The project works to improve systems and structures at state, LGA and community levels to ensure provision of quality care, protection and support services to Children Living with HIV (CLHIV), Adolescents Living with HIV (ALHIV) and their households and support improved organizational and technical capacities of local CSOs to provide care and support services to CLHIV and ALHIV in all states of operation.

As at August 2018, 56,818 OVCs and Caregivers were catered for by the project. They received services in health, education, birth registration, psychosocial support, HIV Testing Services and economic empowerment for vulnerable households and adolescents in the form of seed grants for business startup, skill acquisition and receipt of start-up materials for business. After attainment of the nationally approved care level, 23,972 beneficiary OVCs and their households were graduated from the project. This graduation covered implementation sites in Ebonyi state and nine Local Government Areas in Cross River state.

With the realignment of PEPFAR activities in 2018, project activities were streamlined to five local government areas in Cross River state – Calabar South, Calabar Municipal, Akamkpa, Odukpani and Akpabuyo. Services received by the enrollees include Community Case Management, referral services, nutritional assessment as well as growth monitoring and referral of malnourished children to care, economic empowerment of highly vulnerable households, educational support, Gender Based Violence prevention and response, child and social protection services etc.

In 2019, USAID introduced the surge response to HIV strategy, after review of the National AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS). HIFASS-LOPIN 3 was given three additional states of implementation – Akwa Ibom, Kano and Adamawa State. With the same goal but with greater focus on children, the project is working hard to identify positive children, link them to treatment and ensure their caregivers are empowered with knowledge (for example – proper nutrition) and other areas including economic support, where necessary, so the children can receive appropriate care and lead normal lives.

Ultimately, it is expected that every child enrolled in the project will emerge healthy, safe, stable, schooled.

Global Fund (GF) -HIV New Funding Model (NFM)

In October 2018, HIFASS was sub-awarded a 9-month (3 October, 2018– 30 June, 2019) contract of NGN47,666,572.50 Society for Family Health (SFH) to implement the GF-HIV-NFM project. The project was implemented alongside with an FSW-led CBO, Passion and Concern for Women Welfare and Empowerment Initiative (PACOWWEI) in 3 LGAs of the Federal Capital Territory. It sought to reduce the impact of HIV and AIDS among the key population by strengthening the capacity of Key Affected Populations (KAP) local organizations to deliver and impact positively in the lives of female sex workers with their clients at the grassroots level with key, high-quality HIV prevention and Minimum Prevention Package Intervention (MPPI) within Bwari, Gwagwalada and Kwali Area Council. The FSW component of the project was aimed at reaching high to higher risk Female Sex Worker (FSW) who are vulnerable to HIV using different approach that can best achieve a behavioral change and also the uptake of several biomedical services which include; STI syndromic management, HIV Testing Services, Condom use, Gender Based Violence referral. The MPPI target of 2440 given was reached and surpassed by 2658.

HJF-Provision of workforce (Research protocols at sites in Kaduna, Lagos and Abuja)

HIFASS has recruited and managed staff to support several research protocols- RV 230 and RV 352that are funded by Henry Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine.

HJF-RV 230

HJF -RV 230 was a cross sectional study aim at mapping the common strains of HIV found in indigenous communities in Nigeria and aimed at developing an effective HIV vaccine.

HJF -RV 352

HJF -RV 352 was an evaluation of HIV and Malaria co infection in two Nigerian Military Hospital

HJF-Research RV-368

The contract was aimed at HIV and STI prevalence, incidence and risk behaviours Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Nigeria and the impact of providing HIV medical and prevention services to Nigeria MSM at a trusted community centre.

Protection and Assistance to Cameroonian Refugees (PACR)

In April 2018, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) awarded HIFASS a grant of NGN41,413,336.00 to provide emergency assistance to refugees in Cross River and Benue states respectively. The response included distribution of food and non-food items, health assistance and shelter. The project whose goal was PB Emergency response was executed within 6 months (April 1– September 30, 2018). Public Health, Nutrition and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services were provided to registered Cameroonian refugees in Benue and Cross River States and other new arrivals of Cameroonian refugees.

Strategic Integration of Nigeria Military HIV/AIDS Response (SINM-HAR)

30th September 2018 marked the final day of the Strategic Integration of Nigeria Military HIV/AIDS Response (SINM-HAR) project that lasted five years. Many lessons have been learned and many achievements have been made. The projects partners and all involved will now continue to spread knowledge about HIV Prevention and treatment; Family planning; HIV integration activities amongst others and hope to inspire others to take action!

The project SINM-HAR was a 3 year (2013-2016) structured comprehensive HIV/AIDS technical support program aimed at increasing access, improving quality and transitioning towards fully Nigerian owned sustainable services in the Nigeria Military. However, the Cooperative Agreement had further modifications which extended the project to 2018.

HIFASS supported key areas of HIV/AIDS services in the military under the SINMHAR project which were; Basic Health Care and Support (HBHC), Laboratory infrastructure (HLAB), Health System Strengthening (OHSS), ARV drugs (HTXD), Adult Treatment (HTXS), HIV Counselling and Testing (HVCT), and Strategic Information (HVSI). Services provided by HIFASS in the SINMHAR project pertained mainly in Human Resources Management and strengthening which was crosscutting among all programme areas listed above.

To ensure the quality of service delivery provided by HIFASS under the SINMHAR, HIFASS ensured the recruitment of an adequate number of staff required to run the project. However, in order to ensure sustainability of the services provided, a steering committee was set up in November 2017 and mandated to brainstorm approaches to sustainability and make recommendations. A list of 39 staff has been submitted for absorption into Nigerian Ministry of Defence.

Key Project Achievements

  • Training of over 300 staff on HIV comprehensive care;
  • More than 28646 clients on ART treatment;
  • Establishing well-equipped laboratories including two reference laboratories;
  • A total of eight hundred and forty eight (848) HIV Exposed Infants and three hundred and sixty four (364) PMTCT were made into the HIT System within the period under review which ended on the 30th September 2018;
  • Key indicators buttress the claim that these efforts have been fruitful: 93% of the DBS PCR tests taken have results available in the HIT System, 93% out of mothers were informed of their child’s results and 94% of infants who tested positive were initiated on ART;
  • About half a million people have received quality treatment, counseling and testing through this program and 80% of them are civilians who live in communities surrounding the program facilities;
  • Transitioning of 69 staff to Henry Jackson Foundation for the advancement of Military Medicine;
  • Throughout the life of the project, advocacy visits were also carried out to Government of Nigeria (Nigerian Ministry of Defense) and military hospital Commanders to commit resources to ownership and support sustainability of the Military HIV program

HAF II Grant Implementation in Benue State

Benue State Agency for Control of AIDS (BENSACA) through the World Bank credit awarded HIFASS a grant of ₦5, 941,000 to provide demand creation for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) amongst pregnant women in 35 Benue State communities. These communities are spread across 4 LGAs in the state. The objectives of the project include increased uptake of Antenatal Care (ANC) services, increased number of women who know their HIV status during pregnancy and, eventually, increased facility based deliveries amongst these same women. Project implementation was in accordance with the National Prevention Plan (2010-2015) and approved National MPPI guideline. The target of the HAF 2 project in Benue State was to mobilize 2800 pregnant women (primary beneficiaries) for ANC/PMTCT services in a health facility within 24 months. By the end of the project in July 2015, a total of 4893 pregnant women were referred for ANC/PMTCT services during peer sessions, out of which 3,067 pregnant women received ANC/PMTCT services exceeding the project target by 9.5%.

HAF II Grant Implementation in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)

The FCT Agency for Control of AIDS (FACA) also through the World Bank credit awarded HIFASS a grant of ₦21, 743,000 to provide demand creation for PMTCT amongst pregnant women in 7 wards within the Federal Capital Territory. The objectives of both projects include increased uptake of Antenatal Care (ANC) services, increased number of women who know their HIV status during pregnancy and, eventually, increased facility based deliveries amongst these same women. Project implementation was in accordance with the National Prevention Plan (2010-2015) and approved National MPPI guideline. By September 2015, 2225 pregnant women have received ANC/PMTCT services in PHCs spread across the project LGAs of the FCT thereby exceeding the project target of 1790 beneficiaries by 24.3%. The projects collaborate with Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and community volunteers to refer clients for primary health care services including PMTCT, malaria prevention, and control. The project was completed in July 2016.

NACA Operational Research (The Models Of Decentralization of Art Services and their Level of Effectiveness in Nigeria), Benue, Delta And Oyo State

Our Work in Malaria Diagnostics

HIFASS in partnership with MOD-HIP/DoD WRP-Nigeria had been involved in the capacity building of malaria Microscopists. HIFASS has, among the trainers on malaria diagnosis in Nigeria, one and the only WHO External Competency Assessment of Malaria Microscopists Trainer/Facilitator in the English speaking West African countries. HIFASS also has WHO level 1 Expert Malaria Microscopist.

HIFASS has involved these staff in:

  • Basic Malaria Microscopy Training: 10-day training for would-be malaria microscopist that involves parasite detection (ability to detect the presence or absence of malaria parasites), parasite species identification and parasite
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