Introduction
The 18th Annual Scientific Conference and Gathering of the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL) took place on Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th of July 2023 for the Annual Gathering and Scientific Conference respectively.
The Theme of the Conference was “The Impact of Collaboration on Clinical Research” and the sub-theme was “Local Experiences in Genomics Research”.
To see detailed reports of these events, please click this and this.
Below is the Communique issued at the end of the conference:
The Program kickstarted with the 11th Annual Gathering at the Sheraton Hotels and Suites, Ikeja, Lagos. There, a Professor of Ophthalmology in the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, CMUL, Prof Adeola Onakoya, delivered a lecture on “A sick eye in a sick body: Multidisciplinary team as a research tool “.
The meeting was attended by media organizations and chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, FAS. She decried the exodus of Nigerian medical personnel from the country, owing to the so-called “Japa Syndrome”. However, she encouraged Medical Lecturers and Clinicians to travel abroad to acquire more knowledge and skills and to return in order to proffer solutions to numerous problems confronting the country.
The Scientific component of the meeting took place on Wednesday 26th July 2023 at the Old Great Hall, CMUL and was chaired by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Management Services) Prof. Lucian O. Chukwu, representing the Vice-Chancellor.
A Professor of Surgery from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, Prof. Dion Morton, delivered the Guest Lecture, titled: “The impact of Collaboration on Clinical Research”.
There was also a symposium on the sub-theme: “Local Experiences in Genomic Research” where five faculty members sat as panellists to share local experiences in various Genomic studies taking place in the Faculty of Clinical Sciences currently.
Undergraduate and Postgraduate students of CMUL, as well as Resident Doctors of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) also made fifty-five (55) Abstract submissions and presentations on subjects that ranged from Basic Medical Sciences to Clinical Sciences.
Recommendations
Following fruitful deliberations at the Annual Gathering and Conference of the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, the following recommendations were made:
1. Health personnel should not follow the trend of leaving the country permanently, but should go abroad to acquire skills and knowledge and return to the country to proffer solutions to prevailing medical problems in the country.
2. Clinical researchers should endeavour to collaborate with each other locally across disciplines or specialities to conduct research that has far-reaching effects and solve our local medical problems.
3. Clinical researchers should collaborate with other researchers across the globe to conduct clinical research to solve global medical problems and Nigerian researchers cannot afford to be left out of this global space.
4. Clinical researchers should improve community engagement during the conduct of collaborative research in order to get accurate answers to research questions.
5. The government should provide an enabling environment for medical researchers to conduct research and make recommendations to improve the country’s health indices.
6. Government at all levels should support researchers to translate research findings into implementable actions that will be beneficial to the community which is the real purpose of research.
7. Government should invest in Nigerian Universities to enable medical researchers to conduct genomic studies to help understand the peculiarities as well as the genetic basis for our diseases.
8. Government should establish Centers of Excellence in Genomic Studies in the country to ease the challenges that genomic researchers currently face like having to transport genetic materials from Nigerians abroad for analysis.
9. Government research regulatory agencies should cooperate with clinical researchers for various required approvals and offer all necessary assistance at all stages of their research.
10. Governments at all levels should put in place mechanisms to motivate and retain healthcare workers and encourage clinicians to pursue careers in medical research and provide funding for research.
Signed:
Dr. Rufus W. Ojewola,
Chairman, Scientific Sub-Committee.
Prof. Adesoji Ademuyiwa,
Chairman, Faculty Scientific and Gathering Committee.
Prof. Mrs. Folasade Akinsola,
Dean, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine of University of Lagos
