Nigeria has one of the highest diversities and burden of public health diseases with global significance in sub-Saharan Africa, even as the federal government has launched the integrated laboratory diagnosis facility, as effort to combat infectious diseases of public health importance in the country.
The project is a collaboration between Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the Taiwanese government (TECRO) through strategic partners like the US-CDC, CDC Nigeria, CDC Foundation, and APIN Public Health Initiatives.
The director general, NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, at the unveiling of the facility, yesterday, in Lagos, said NCDC has identified the need to develop capacity for advanced diagnostic services and laboratory-based surveillance capacity for Malaria, Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), Mycotic Diseases, and similar diseases of public health importance, in response to diagnosis-related challenges for the country’s prioritised infectious diseases.
The establishment of this integrated laboratory diagnosis facility will be a game-changer in the fight against infectious diseases of public health importance in Nigeria, Idris averred, adding that, “By providing accurate, early, and comprehensive diagnosis, it will enable informative decision-making for enhanced patient care, proactive disease surveillance and outbreak management, optimize antimicrobial stewardship and reduced antimicrobial resistance, inform research and development for new diagnostic tests and treatments, improved patient safety and reduce healthcare costs, enhanced global health security through rapid detection and response, among others.”
The main goal of this timely intervention through the NCDC/CDC-Foundation (TECRO Project) is to further strengthen NCDC’s capacity, the DG stated. “Malaria, mycotic infections, and NTDs’ have, for far too long, imposed a significant burden on our communities, disproportionately impacting the most vulnerable and hindering development. This facility will mark a pivotal step forward in our national health security strategy. It emphasizes NCDC’s unwavering commitment to protecting public health.across the nation and by extension serving as model for countries in the region.
“The establishment of this integrated disease laboratory signifies a.paradigm shift and will add critical values through, enhanced diagnostic capacity; strengthened reference laboratory function and serves as a centre for training and capacity building platforms for healthcare professionals to improve their competencies,” he added.
He however appreciated the Taiwanese government (TECRO) and strategic partners like the US-CDC, CDC Nigeria, CDC Foundation, and APIN for the technical & financial resources, adding that the contributions of all critical partners and stakeholders will be instrumental in shaping this initiative.
In the same vein, the national coordinator for the National Malaria Elimination Programme, Dr. Godwin Ntadom, said Nigeria needs a structure on ground that will be able to assist the country in the fight against infectious diseases. “We talk about resistance strains, molecular analysis. We need an institution that will be able to spearhead this and that is where NCDC comes in. I want to thank our supporters for making this possible, and I assure you that we are going to key into it and we are going to use it maximally to the benefit of the country,” Ntadom stated.
In his goodwill message, the representative, head of mission, Taipei Trade Office in Nigeria, Andy Yih-Ping Liu, reiterated Taiwan government’s commitment to supporting the government of Nigeria in its fight against infectious diseases.
“We are going to continue with more collaborating efforts through the partnership that established by the Nigerian CDC together with the U.S. CDC Foundation and with Taiwan government. Although we are quite advanced in all kind of technology, but in this particular part of the world, the U.S. embassy, U.S. government, and CDC Foundation have deep-rooted in this particular area to provide assistance. So Taiwan is very honored to be able to participate through the connection with the U.S., helping the Nigerian government to build more capacity among medical experts, among public health experts, through this particular project.
“This is the first one ever that Taiwan connected and collaborated with the U.S. and connecting with the Nigerian authorities. This is a trilateral triumph of this particular kind of tropical disease monitoring and laboratory center. So we are very happy to be able to help.”
Deputy CEO-Programs, APIN Public Health Initiatives, Dr Jay Osi Samuels, said the project will help tackle infectious diseases in the country. “As an implementing partner, we are so happy to see this project come to reality,” he added.
On her part, the senior program officer, CDC Foundation, Cassandra Webber, said the partnership between NCDC, Taiwan government and the CDC Foundation will help strengthen the public health infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa and bolster the continent’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats.
“Continued progress against malaria and neglected tropical diseases is critical to saving lives, and our efforts to strengthen the capacity of this laboratory using advanced testing and surveillance capacity has the potential to strengthen our global workforce and the emergency response capabilities of an entire region. The CDC Foundation looks forward to continuing to work together with the Nigerian government, as this project continues to move forward in vital work to strengthen Nigeria’s public health infrastructure,” Webber assured.
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