We Are Prepared To Tackle Any Disease Outbreak ― FG

The Federal Government has said it is ready to tackle any form of disease in the event of its outbreak in Nigeria.

Vice president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, stated this in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, at the commissioning of the state disease control and research centre.

Osinbajo who noted that with the completion of the state art of the disease control centre, diagnosing diseases outside the country would soon be a thing of the past.

He described the centre as the largest in Africa and expressed optimism that with the quality and components of the centre, Nigeria is ready to battle any form of infectious diseases.

While lauding the state government for the remarkable achievement despite the meagre resources available to the state, Osinbajo called for adequate maintenance of the equipment provided for the benefit of all.

Earlier, the governor, Abdullahi Sule, had explained that with the establishment of the Centre and its full operation, perennial diagnosis and management challenges of infectious diseases previously experienced will become a thing of the past adding that treatments of such ailments will be greatly enhanced.

According to Governor Sule, the Centre will also serve as a research hub, a crucible for innovations and operational research that will provoke policy initiation stating further that the centre will conduct clinical trials for vaccines, drugs and other products, in compliance with ethical standards, as well as support training in public health and researches at all levels.

“In addition, it will also provide scientific guidance for the local production of vaccines, diagnostic kits, sera, anti-sera and other related health products. I am happy to state that the Centre is one of the best diagnostic centres in the country.”

“It is expedient to note that the Centre is equipped with the state-of-the-art facilities and has a provision of a Biosafety levels II & III Laboratories, a Molecular Laboratory, an Isolation Ward, an Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), an Administrative Structure and a Conference Hall,” Sule said.

While commending the effort of the Federal Government for the support and provision of equipment, as well as other critical facilities which eventuated the readiness of the Infectious Disease and Research Centre, Sule assured that Nasarawa will continue to cherish Federal Government support, intervention and partnership in the collective commitment for the socio-economic development of our dear country.

Sule said that the global pandemic of COVID-19 has exposed the state of the nation’s healthcare centres at all levels adding that “it is for this reason that we have resolved to evolve measures that will strengthen the provision of health facilities”

“As a responsive government that is desirous of uplifting the state to be among the top economically-viable states in the country, prioritising the health system has become imperative, considering its importance to human lives,” Sule declared.

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