PROJECT PRESENTATION
The Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire (CERMES) is a public scientific and technical establishment (ESPT) reporting to the Niger Ministry of Public Health, Population and Social Affairs. Founded in 1980, it joined the international network of Instituts Pasteur in 2007. CERMES has four main missions: research, training, public health promotion and expertise.
The ambitious vision is to anticipate emerging health challenges in the Sahelian region through research, surveillance and public health expertise, with the ultimate aim of improving the health of populations. An analysis of CERMES’ weaknesses revealed a number of weak points, including insufficient organizational and institutional capacity, a limited number of researchers, underdeveloped infrastructures, and an administrative team too small to manage large-scale projects. It is against this backdrop that this innovative project was launched, with the aim of strengthening CERMES’ role in anticipating health issues in Niger, but also in Africa as a whole, between now and 2035, through research, public health promotion and training. This project aims to provide CERMES with the resources it needs to meet the health challenges of the future. It will enhance its ability to conduct cutting-edge research, train the next generation of healthcare professionals, strengthen epidemiological surveillance, and offer high-quality expertise in the field of public health. CERMES’ ambitions are to become a leading player in the fight against health challenges, making a significant contribution to improving the well-being of people in Niger and beyond.
BOAD’s support resulted in the signature of a credit agreement for a total of 20 billion FCFA.
PURPOSE, OBJECTIVES AND COMPONENTS
The purpose of the project is to (i) the construction of an R+2 building to serve as a laboratory unit, an auditorium on the R+1 floor, the refurbishment of premises and their equipment at the Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire (CERMES), and (ii) Strengthening tertiary reference health infrastructures by building and/or equipping : an operating theatre with eight (08) operating rooms at the Hôpital National Amirou Boubacar Diallo de Niamey (HNABD); one (01) mammography department at the Centre National de Santé de la Reproduction (CNSR); one (01) Centre National de Référence de la Drépanocytose (CNRD); one (01) neurovascular intensive care unit and one (01) assisted reproduction service at the Hôpital Général de Référence (HGR), and the development of burns, intensive care and medical and surgical emergency services at the Hôpital National de Niamey (HNN).
The overall aim of the project is to contribute to improving the health of populations through expertise in health research and the provision of quality care.
The specific objectives are : (i) make CERMES a sub-regional center of excellence for research into current diseases (meningitis, measles, gastroenteritis, acute respiratory failure, malaria, malnutrition, rabies, hepatitis) and emerging diseases (Ebola, Lassa fever, cancers, etc.); (ii) increase the accessibility of national reference centers and the quality of care for the populations of Niger and the sub-region in general, and (iii) reduce medical evacuations.
The project comprises the following ten (10) components: (i) studies ; (ii) civil engineering works ; (iii) medical equipment ; (iv) rolling stock and furniture ; (v) control and supervision ; (vi) environmental measures ; (vii) project management ; (viii) capacity building ; (ix) monitoring and evaluation and (x) technical and financial audit.
COST AND FINANCING
The estimated cost of the project is 21,480 M FCFA excluding VAT, i.e. 25,440 M FCFA including VAT. The total cost of the project, excluding taxes, will be financed by BOAD to the tune of 20,000 million CFA francs (i.e. 93.11% of the total cost excluding taxes) and by the State of Niger to the tune of 1,480 million CFA francs (i.e. 6.89% of the total cost excluding taxes).
The BOAD loan will be used to finance (i) total of the “medical and laboratory equipment”, “works control and supervision”, “project coordination and management”, “institutional support”, “financial and technical audit” and “project monitoring and evaluation” components, as well as (ii) part of the “buildings and installations” and “furniture and miscellaneous equipment” components.
DEVELOPMENT IMPACT
The main development results expected during the implementation and operation of the structures in place are as follows:
– Improving the technical facilities of health establishments nationwide
Six (06) tertiary-level establishments will have been reinforced.
– Improving health care :
Some 37,000 patients will be admitted and treated according to the disease presented. In addition, 795 patients can be treated in Niger, thus limiting the need for medical evacuations.
– In terms of job creation:
456 induced and indirect jobs are created.
– In terms of contribution to additional wealth creation :
– at least 7,595 M F CFA of indirect and induced added value is generated;
– a minimum of 205 M F CFA in indirect and induced tax revenues are generated.
