The Directorate conducts workshop on its Scientific Progress

The Vaccine and Diagnostic Production Directorate of the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, EHNRI conducts a one day workshop on its scientific progress on 21st January, 2013 at the conference hall of the Institute.

According to Kelbessa Urge, a Director of the Vaccine and Diagnostic Production Directorate, the workshop is organized to inform the scientific community, stakeholders and collaborators the achievement and drawbacks of the Directorate towards achieving its objective.

In his opening speech, Dr. Amha Kebede, Director General of EHNRI said that following the obtain of the mandate from Ethiopian Ministry of Health to establish a dedicated Directorate for the production of prophylactic human vaccines, pediatric combination vaccines and other biological for diagnostic purposes through transfer of appropriate technology, the Institute has invested heavily in the establishment of the Directorate.

“We will do the same in the future to make the Directorate a vibrant center of health biotechnology” added the Director General.

The Directorate was established with the objectives of technology transfer and adaptation for the production of pediatric combination(Pentavalent=DPT-Hib-HeB) and Meningococcal vaccines(A,C,X,W-135), technology transfer and adaptation to produce     cell-culture based anti-rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin for rabies post- and pre-exposure prophylaxis, technology transfer for production of anti-venom from poisonous snakes of Ethiopia,  Technology transfer and adaptation for the production of pediatric combination(Pentavalent=DPT-Hib-HeB) and Meningococal vaccines(A,C,X,W-135) and technology transfer and adaptation to produce     cell-culture based anti-rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin for rabies post- and pre-exposure prophylaxis in March 2009.

During the workshop the Directorate has presented to the participants its major achievements and future plans.