NIGERIA has announced the inclusion of three new laboratories into the nation’s yellow fever/measles/rubella laboratory network to improve capacity to test for these diseases all over the country.
The three new laboratories that are also part of the global World Health Organisation (WHO) laboratory network are the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu and NCDC National Reference Laboratory, Abuja.
The Federal Ministry of Health which made the announcement through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said the included laboratories will further strengthen Nigeria’s surveillance and laboratory capacity to respond to yellow fever cases and outbreaks.
NCDC’s director-general, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, said the activated new laboratories were a necessary addition to the existing laboratory network to improve the coverage and ensure timely detection and response to yellow fever, measles and rubella.
World Health Organisation (WHO) representative, Dr Clement Peter Lasuba reiterated the commitment of WHO and partners to support the strengthening of Nigeria’s public health laboratory.
According to him, “The inclusion of these three new laboratories will strengthen the national diagnostic capacity, a critical step for Nigeria’s health security. WHO will continue to support the development of public health laboratory services in Nigeria”.
Representing the tertiary institutions, the Chief Medical Director, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Professor Darlington Obaseki promised to ensure that the standards required are maintained for full functionality.
Chief Medical Director, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Dr Obinna Onodugo also expressed his optimism in the value that the laboratory will provide in serving the south-east region of the country and in reducing dependence on other laboratories.
According to him, “This is an inclusion that we have been advocating for a long period of time given the incidence of yellow fever in some parts of the South-East and our dependence on laboratories in other regions.”
Prior to 2019, Nigeria had only four laboratories in its national yellow fever, measles and rubella laboratory network. There was no laboratory in the South-East and the South-South with this capacity, putting a strain on other regions.
In 2017, Nigeria adapted the Eliminate Yellow fever Epidemics (EYE) strategy, a global initiative led by WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to support at-risk countries in strengthening their surveillance and laboratory capacity to respond to yellow fever cases and outbreaks.
The strategy is also to support countries including Nigeria, in the elimination of yellow fever outbreaks.