Health

US donates equipment worth over 63 million FCFA to public health laboratory.

by Morine Tanyi
22 Jan 2025 15:20
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Ambassador Christopher Lamora symbolically handing gift Minister Dr Manaouda Malachie

The government of the United States of America, USA, has through its Embassy in Cameroon, donated a consignment of medical equipment worth over 63 million FCFA to the National Public Health Laboratory, LNSP.
US Ambassador to Cameroon, H.E Christopher John Lamora, handed over the consignment to the Minister of Public Health, Dr Manaouda Malachie, in the presence of staff of the centre as well as his close collaborators.

This was during a ceremony that took place January 16 at the Public Health Emergency Operation Coordination Centre, PHEOCC, in Yaounde.

The donation comprised critical personal protective equipment, sample collection materials, packaging supplies, and secure sample transport tools such as sampling tubes, needles, and vacutainers.

The equipment was acquired with funding from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC. It is expected to significantly help enhance the performance of the LNSP and improve the quality of care it provides to its users.

Speaking during the reception ceremony, Minister Manaouda expressed profound gratitude to the US government for its enduring partnership.

He hailed the gesture as a reflection of the vibrant cooperation between the two nations and added the donation was a timely boost to the country’s public health sector.

Dr Manaouda, also insisted on the critical role of laboratories in combating epidemics. He recalled that during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cameroon with support from partners like the US, established a robust network of laboratories that became pivotal in sample collection and diagnosis.

This infrastructure, he noted, remains essential for building a resilient health system capable of withstanding any future threats.

The minister also called on the LNSP, through its oversight body, the Directorate for the Fight Against Disease, Epidemics, and Pandemics, DLMEP, to make good use of the equipment.

“The protection of the Cameroonian population and beyond is at stake,” he stated, urging them to maintain the laboratory and keep it prepare to address current and future public health challenges.

The US diplomat on his part reiterated that the collaboration between the two countries is fruitful.

“This donation reaffirms the United States’ unwavering commitment to strengthening Cameroon’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond effectively to public health threats,” Ambassador Lamora said.

The diplomat stressed on the equipment’s potential to strengthen the laboratory’s ability to identify and confirm cases of emerging and re-emerging diseases such as Mpox, cholera, and whooping cough.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3344 of Monday January 20, 2025