U.S. Government Donates Laboratory Supplies to Support Nigeria’s
Outbreak Response Efforts
By Edoamaowo Udeme
The United States Government, through the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), has donated equipment and supplies to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) to support Nigeria’s outbreak response laboratory activities.
Speaking at the event, The US Representative, Dr. Farah Husain, the Program Director, Division of Global Health Protection, emphasized that laboratories are a cornerstone of outbreak responses and thanked laboratory scientists for their vital work and commitment. She noted that this donation and the work it enables will help save lives, both in the laboratories and in the communities affected by outbreaks.
” The US CDC will support the distribution of the supplies to subnational laboratories and health facilities supporting emergency responses across Nigeria”. She stressed.
Dr. Jide Idris, Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control while thanking the US for its continuous support to Nigeria noted that despite the Nigerian governments effort to handle emergency health situations in the country, it cannot sufficiently fund a health system, which he said necessitates the need for partnership and that explains the US government continuous partnership and collaborations. With the aim of reducing outbreaks, Dr Idris said “We require this kind of collaboration from different partners”
Laboratories across Nigeria are working diligently to quickly detect disease threats and confirm cases. Their efforts are a critical part of every outbreak response. The volume of work generated by the ongoing responses to Lassa fever, diphtheria, meningitis, and other diseases, creates a continued need for resources. To help meet this need, Dr. Farah Husain the Program Director for US CDC’s Division of Global Health Protection, led the donation from US CDC to NCDC, which included:
· Biosafety cabinets
· Sample collection materials
· Other essential laboratory commodities to ensure the quality and high outputs of Nigeria’s labs
· Large amounts of personal protective equipment to help keep laboratory workers safe
Photo Caption: Dr. Farah Husain, Program Director, Division of Global Health Protection, U.S. CDC and Dr. Jide Idris, Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
