The United States (US) Government, via the U.S. 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.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the US Embassy in Abuja, stressing that laboratories across Nigeria are working diligently to quickly detect disease threats and confirm cases. It added that 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, the statement said.
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 materials donated include essential laboratory commodities to ensure the quality and high outputs of Nigeria’s labs and 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.
Following the event, US CDC will support the distribution of the supplies to subnational laboratories and health facilities supporting emergency responses across Nigeria, the statement added.
