By Charles Akinbode
The World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland has appointed a senior lecturer of the Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Prof. Christian Happi, a member of its Technical Advisory Group on SAV-Cov-2 Virus Evolution.
According to a statement by the spokesman of the Redeemer’s University, Adetunji Adeleye, the appointment of Happi, a director of the World Bank-funded African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), will be for one year.
The statement said that the lead expert in genomics and global public health policy management had led other experts at the centre commendable to sequence the first SARS-Cov-2 in Africa.
The statement read in part: “His meritorious rise in the fight against the world’s deadliest diseases gained global relevance during the 2014 Ebola outbreak when he played a crucial role in detecting Nigeria’s first index case and assisted in its containment. Since then, he has become a key player in championing a safer world in the public health arena through his international research outputs, which help to provide data for global health agencies, institutions, governments, industries, and scientists in Africa and other parts of the world.
“The Technical Advisory Group (TAG-VE) will regularly inform the international health body on global, regional, and national COVID-19 prevention and control strategies. Its advisory groups will utilize it on vaccination, immunization, and infectious hazards.
“They are also expected to strengthen mechanisms to identify and prioritize potential relevant mutations of SARS-COV-2, among others.”
