Nigerian Scientists Establish T Cell Baseline Standards for Country
Nigerian scientists, led by Dauda Oladepo of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, recently established CD4+ T cell baseline standards in the country, the Vanguard/AllAfrica.com reports. According to Oladepo, the country previously did not have a national T cell baseline count for enrolling HIV-positive people in antiretroviral treatment. He said that "it is imperative to determine local baseline CD4 count and also provide national data for reference values in Nigeria."
According to Oladepo, the Ministry of Health's national HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infection control program began funding for T cell research in Nigeria in 2006 with support from the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Health Minister Babatunde Oshotimehin praised the scientists' efforts and called for a renewed commitment to HIV/AIDS efforts in the country among organizations and stakeholders. He also recommended that the results of the research be used as a basis for clinical practice guidelines in Nigeria (Amalu, Vanguard/AllAfrica.com, 3/10).