Yohanna Kambai Avong
Institute of Human Virology,Nigeria
Biography
Avong is a public health pharmacist, implementing the United States Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Global Fund Round 9 grants, under the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN). He holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm) from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. He is also pursuing a PhD in Pharmacovigilance and Pharmaco-epidemiology. He inspired the setting- up of the spontaneous reporting system (SRS) in the HIV/AIDS and MDRTB public health programs for the detection, monitoring, treatment and reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of anti-retroviral and second line anti-tuberculosis drugs. He has supervised the collection and analysis of over 2000 individual case safety reports (ICSRs) from the HIV/AIDS and MDRTB programs and published several papers in the areas of pharmacovigilance, adherence to anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and procurement and supply management (PSM) as well as reviewed manuscripts for several notable journals. He also participated in the development of the current Nigerian “Integrated National Guidelines for HIV Prevention Treatment and Care in Nigeria”. As the head of the Pharmacy Division and Associate Director with the IHVN, he oversees the delivery of pharmaceutical care services in all the grants awarded to the IHVN. He served as the liaison officer between the Alpha Pharmacy and Stores Limited and the Federal Government of Nigeria for the importation of Narcotics for the public sector in 2003 through 2005. His current interest is promoting adherence to medications and pharmacovigilance in public health programs.
