Gov. Hyacinth Alia of Benue on Tuesday inaugurated a Molecular Laboratory and a Polymerase Chain Reaction machine donated by the United States Centre for Disease Control (US CDC) to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Makurdi.
Alia while delivering his address said that the gesture would go a long way to complement the efforts of government to improve public health, particularly the fight against HIV/AIDS.
He pointed out that the partnership between the United States Centre for Disease Control and the State Ministry of Health, and other health agencies in the state had been instrumental in the collective mission to end HIV as a public health threat.
"Through the generous funds and technical assistance provided by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, we have made significant strides in strengthening our healthcare infrastructure and enhancing our capacity to combat this epidemic.
"This state-of-the-art facility, made possible through the support of the US CDC will play a crucial role in our efforts to diagnose, treat and prevent HIV/AIDS in our communities," Alia said.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Yanmar Ortese, appreciated APIN Public Health Initiative and US CDC for donating a cutting-edge PCR machine to the FMC, adding that he remained grateful to the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) for their unwavering support to the state in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
"Your investment in our healthcare system has been instrumental in transforming HIV from a death sentence to a manageable chronic disease.
"Through PEPFAR’s support, over 180,000 people living with HIV are now accessing life-saving antiretroviral treatment across 264 health facilities in our state.
"The prevention of mother-to-child transmission program has also ensured the birth of approximately 8,000 HIV-negative babies annually," Ortese said.
Meanwhile, the FMC Medical Director, Prof. Joseph Kortor, said that the donation of the machine was a milestone development which marked a significant step forward in the commitment to enhancing healthcare services and bolstering the capacity to combat infectious diseases in the state.
Earlier, the Acting Country Director, US CDC-Nigeria, Suzanne Theroux, presented a laboratory accreditation certificate number ISO15189:2012 to the medical director of FMC.
Chief Executive Officer, APIN Public Health Initiative, Dr Prosper Okonkwo, thanked US CDC and the state government for always supporting FMC.
