The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), OAUTHC Chapter, held its Quarterly Scientific Conference on July 31, 2024, at the Clinical Skills Auditorium, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex.
The conference, themed “Grantsmanship and Partnership: Frameworks for Development,” featured Prof. Ebun Adejuyigbe, a Consultant Paediatrician, as the first guest speaker. Prof. Adejuyigbe highlighted the importance of grantsmanship, describing it as the art of securing and managing grants through compelling proposal writing.
She emphasised the necessity of research in grantsmanship, noting that it requires time, resources, and support. She advised attendees to start small with their research endeavours and align their project ideas with appropriate funding agencies.
Dr. Temitope Ilori, Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), addressed the current state of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. Dr Ilori explained that HIV targets the immune system’s white blood cells and is spread through body fluids from an infected person or father to child. She highlighted that while antiretroviral therapy (ART) can treat and prevent the disease, Nigeria still faces significant challenges, with approximately 75,000 new infections and 50,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2023. She noted the substantial impact of HIV/AIDS on Nigeria’s socio-economic, cultural, health, and general well-being and outlined national policy frameworks focused on prevention, treatment, and counselling
The Chief Medical Director of the institution expressed gratitude to the guest speakers and acknowledged the positive impact of MDCAN on the hospital. He encouraged attendees to embrace grantsmanship and partnership. He also highlighted the hospital’s recent achievements, including patient welfare initiatives, local staff appointments, the assignment of eight physicians to stabilise hospital operations, the success of staff promotion exams, the settlement of drug debts and more.
The conference underscored the critical roles of grantsmanship and partnership in advancing medical research and healthcare development in Nigeria.
