The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has unveiled the Healthcare Care Sector Research and Development Intervention Scheme (HSRDIS), in a bid to strengthen the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new development is contained in the apex bank’s official website, www.cbn.gov.ng.
The apex bank stated the intervention was to help strengthen public healthcare systems with innovative financing of research and development in new and improved drugs, vaccines and diagnostics of infectious diseases in Nigeria.
It said: “Specifically, HSRDIS is designed to trigger intense national research and development activities to develop a Nigerian vaccine, drugs and herbal medicines/medical devices against the spread of COVID-19 and any other communicable or non-communicable diseases.
“This will be done through the provision of grants to biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies, institutions, researchers and research institutes.
“The grants will support research and development of drugs, herbal medicines/medical devices and vaccines for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.”
