The United Kingdom has provided Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) with a new Polymerase Chain Reaction machine for COVID-19 testing.
The equipment, which was unveiled on Sunday by the NCDC in Lagos, was purchased with part of the UKAid funding of £661,000 that the British government made this year to the Nigerian branch of the World Health Organization.
The most accurate lab method for detecting, tracking, and studying the coronavirus is the PCR machine and was expected to expand the possibilities of testing COVID-19 at NCDC thereby increasing its ability to perform not less than 3,000 tests per day.
On Monday, a statement made by the British High Commission said the equipment was presented to NCDC Director-General Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, as well as to Dr. Fiona Braka, Director of the Immunization Team and current Officer-in-Charge of WHO Nigeria, at the Central Public Health. Laboratory, NCDC National Reference Laboratory campus in Lagos.
The statement read, “The UK has been working closely with authorities across Nigeria, including the NCDC, to support preparedness, planning and wider public health response efforts to contain the spread of the virus in Nigeria. The UK’s response is aligned with the Government of Nigeria’s efforts at both the national and state levels”.
Karl Holmes, British High Commissioner representative said at the event that “The procurement of this new PCR machine complements the UK Government’s ongoing financial and technical support to Nigeria for the provision of diagnostic reagents and consumables, Biosafety training and certifications through our International Health Regulations Strengthening Project led by Public Health England.”
In his speech, the NCDC DG said the machine will help intensify their testing capabilities testing more than 2 million people in the next three months.
“This laboratory will now be able to play an even bigger role to help us meet this target,” he noted.
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