The U.S. Government has donated laboratory equipment and supplies to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) to support its ongoing responses to Lassa fever, diphtheria, meningitis and others.
This was announced by the US mission in Nigeria via its X page on Friday, April 12, 2024.
The mission acknowledged Nigeria’s outbreak response laboratory activities.
The donation was made by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC).
The US maintained that laboratories across Nigeria are working diligently to quickly detect disease threats and confirm cases, adding its support will be sustained.
Recommended reading: NCDC records surge in Lassa fever cases in 2023
The statement partly reads,
- “Their(Nigeria’s) 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.
- During the event, Dr. Husain 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 also promised to support the distribution of the supplies to subnational laboratories and health facilities supporting emergency responses across the country.
More insight
- Nairametrics previously reported Nigeria recorded about 200 deaths from Lassa fever, according to the NCDC disclosure four months ago.
- In May last year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported a spike in Nigeria’s Lassa fever record totalling about 4702 suspected cases.
- Ever since the outbreak in parts of the country, the NCDC has intensified efforts to reduce infections.
Recommended reading: Nigerian Army confirms Lassa fever outbreak at its Kaduna hospital
