Pampers builds capability of paediatricians in Nigeria; will sponsor up to 7 pediatric doctors to the United States for training and research.

Pampers, one of the leading brands of Procter & Gamble, announced that it will sponsor 7 Nigerian pediatric doctors to the United States of America (USA) for Observership and research scholar programs. This was announced at a press conference today in Enugu as part of the 44^th Annual conference of the Paediatric association of Nigeria

The program; called the Nurturing Childrens Development program is a partnership between Pampers and the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) with an objective of contributing towards improvement in the healthy development of infants and children worldwide. The program, fully funded by Pampers, consists of 2 month observerships and a 9 month research scholarship at the prestigious Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Centre- one of the top pediatric hospitals and child health research institutions in the United States which has produced some of the most renowned pediatric research scientists, including Dr. Albert Sabin, discoverer of the oral polio vaccine.

Of the 7 paediatricians to benefit from the NCD program, six would benefit from the ‘Observership scholarships’ while one would take part in the research program. The programs would enable these doctors travel to Cincinnati to share knowledge on medical advances and administrative innovations at the Cincinnati Children’s and other hospital institutions in the surrounding area. The beneficiaries of this program would be selected from hospitals across Nigeria through collaboration between Procter and Gamble and the Paediatric Association of Nigeria; PAN. The program which commenced in 2012 has so far seen 3 pediatricians’ leave to experience the observership programme and 1 research scholarship experience the 9 month research scholarship programme. Another 3 paediatricians will leave later in 2013 to experience the observership program.

The Regulatory & Technical Relations Manager for Procter and Gamble Nigeria, Mrs. Adebusola Opanubi commented on the program saying, “As a company we are inspired by our purpose to ‘Touch and improve lives’. Procter and Gamble recognizes there are several challenges that face the Nigerian child today and we are focused on programs that help improve life for the Nigerian child and that contribute to the attainment of the ‘Millennium Development Goal’s. This program, aimed at nurturing child health and development provides an excellent platform for the transfer of global best practices in child health care and management from CCHMC - to the benefit of the Nigerian child.” This is also just one of the ways Procter and Gamble on the platform of Pampers® is helping to develop Human Capital in Nigeria.

Dr. Dorothy Esangbedo, the President of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria, while speaking at the press conference announcing the programme today said that the capacity building programme by Procter and Gamble is very intuitive as it provides mid-career pediatric scholars to experience world class standard and replicate what has been learnt into the Nigerian system. Esangbedo thanked PnG and urged other corporate bodies to emulate the company.

Dr. Ekanem Ekure, the pioneer observer pediatrician from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) commenting on her experience thanked the Pampers brand of the Procter & Gamble Company for giving her this exposure opportunity. Further she stated that” due to the training I received in the Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Centre, my skills in pediatric echocardiography have improved greatly, and no child requiring pediatric echocardiography leaves the hospital to look for this service. They are all attended to here.”

This is in contrast to the situation before her training in the United States.

According to Professor Adekunle Dawodu, the CCHMC Coordinator of the program, “The partnership was borne of a shared vision by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) and The Procter and Gamble Company to contribute to improvement in the healthy development of infants and children worldwide.”