- NIMR held its June edition of NIMR Media Chat, revealing that it is at a combative phase in quest towards eradicating River Blindness
- Dr. Babatunde Adewale, the lead researcher, reveals groundbreaking progress towards the development
- NIMR stressed the need for more attention on Neglected Tropical Diseases such as Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis and Onchocerciasis (River Blindness)
The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) held a comprehensive media chat on Monday, June 30th, 2025, led by NIMR’s Director General, Professor John Oladapo Obafunwa.
The event shed light on recent achievements and ongoing research efforts aimed at combating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and improving public health outcomes across several states in Nigeria.
One of the key speakers was Dr. Babatunde Adewale, Director of Research at NIMR and Chairman of the Institute’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) anchored the details of the research definition, progress, scope and prospects.
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In his presentation, Dr. Adewale provided an overview of his research, emphasizing the significance of onchocerciasis as a major public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Onchocerciasis is the second leading cause of infectious blindness worldwide,” he explained, noting that it is transmitted through bites of infected female Simulium flies carrying Onchocerca volvulus parasites.
His studies have focused on understanding the transmission seasonality, the impact of ivermectin—the primary drug used in control efforts—and the transition from control to elimination of the disease by 2030.
The research outputs have practical implications for Nigeria’s NTD programs, particularly in optimizing elimination strategies and understanding helminth interactions.
Dr. Adewale emphasized the importance of robust surveillance and innovative research to achieve Nigeria’s goal of onchocerciasis elimination by 2030.
As the briefing concluded, Dr. Adewale reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to eradicating NTDs through continued research, collaboration, and the application of cutting-edge science, in partnership with government agencies and international health organizations.
He highlighted several notable achievements in his department’s efforts:
- Establishment of the Ov-16 antigen ELISA laboratory in the Public Health and Epidemiology Department, supported by development partners, to bolster Nigeria’s onchocerciasis elimination efforts.
- Analysis of over 12,000 dried blood spot samples from across various Nigerian states.
- Conducting confirmatory mapping of lymphatic filariasis, leading to the targeted mass drug administration in Lagos.
- Identification of the forest strain of Onchocerca volvulus via polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
- Determination of the seasonal transmission patterns of O. volvulus and its implications for treatment timing.
- Research indicating that trefoil factors modulate helminth infections among schoolchildren, with data supporting the role of trefoil factors (TFF) in human helminth infections.
Dr. Adewale’s work has significantly contributed to Nigeria’s national disease elimination strategy. He is part of a consortium of onchocerciasis laboratories nationwide, working on surveillance using Ov-16 antigen markers.
His collaborative efforts with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) aim to assess progress toward eliminating onchocerciasis by 2030, with laboratory accreditation in progress to standardize testing across facilities.
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Currently, Dr. Adewale’s team, including Mr. Adeniyi Adeleye and Dr. Kazeem Adewale Osuolale, is analyzing dried blood spots from children under ten years old to assess the interruption of onchocerciasis transmission in treated communities.
Additionally, his research includes studying co-infections of Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STHs) and H. pylori in school-aged children in Lagos, aiming to understand how trefoil factors influence the inflammatory response and disease severity.
Dr. Adewale is a distinguished Public Health Parasitologist specializing in Medical Parasitology, with a focus on NTDs such as onchocerciasis (river blindness) and lymphatic filariasis.
He also serves on several national health committees, including the Lagos State Health Research Ethics Committee and the National Steering Committee on NTDs.
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