NCDC expands capacity with malaria lab 

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC)’s capability of early detection and inspection has been boosted with the launch of the Integrated Disease Reference Laboratory (IDRL) for malaria, Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), mycotic infections, and other diseases of public health importance.

It was established through the intervention of the NCDC/Centre for Disease Control (CDC), Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO).

This partnership with some of the disease programmes of the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) will provide strategic leadership and coordinate national public health response strategies that support integrated disease surveillance, detection, characterisation, prevention, and mitigation of priority diseases of global health significance.

The launch of the Central Public Health Laboratory (CPHL), Yaba, Lagos, according to the centre, is to consolidate the Nigeria health sector effort during the Ebola and COVID-19 virus crisis that rocked the world.

The new facility will function as a central hub for the collection, analysis, interpretation and dissemination of data about laboratory diagnoses of priority infectious diseases of public health importance, that are not in the current list covered by the National Reference Laboratory, such as malaria, mycotic infection and NTDs.

Director General, NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, said the laboratory surveillance system would contribute significantly to generating real-time epidemiological insights, empowering Nigeria to make data-driven evidence-based decisions for disease control and prevention efforts.

MEANWHILE the founder of Global Initiative for Nigeria Development (GIND), a non-governmental organisation, Mr Micheal Ale, has said that poor development plans, particularly resulting in poor access to portable safe water, heavy flooding and lack of post-epidemic surveillance are largely responsible for the outbreak of cholera epidemic in the country.

Ale, who is an expert in development strategies, urged the Federal and state governments to seek professionals’ intervention in the current cholera epidemic in many parts of the country.

The GIND founder, who stated this in a statement made available to newsmen in Ado-Ekiti at the weekend, said he was moved by the deadly health hazards the epidemic had posed to thousands of lowly placed Nigerians and the possible negative consequences if drastic actions were not taken.

“Nigeria is prone to a variety of factors that lead to recurring cholera outbreaks. They include lack of access to potable drinking water which is needed to maintain good hygiene practices.

“Other factors include lack of continued surveillance, even after the outbreak has ended; flooding; poverty (although currently, cholera treatment is free in all government facilities); lack of health facilities; illiteracy; lack of infrastructure for water supply and waste disposal; and conflict leading to overcrowded conditions for displaced people”, he said.

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