Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja
The World Health Organisation has commended Nigeria for being able to set up 61 laboratories that can test for COVID-19 in the last six months.
WHO added, however, that there is a desire to decentralize evidence given Nigeria’s huge population.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said at a webinar Thursday that when COVID-19 hit Africa in February, two laboratories could simply control the virus across the continent. But Moeti said things had changed since then.
The WHO Regional Director said: “In Ethiopia, there are now forty-five laboratories provided to diagnose COVID-19 and there are 61 in Nigeria. Six months ago, only two laboratories in the African region, South Africa and Senegal, can simply verify this. Virus. Ghana is building more than 70 rehabilitation centres, 57 of which are already in operation, in addition to 12 self-isolation units.
“Seychelles has reduced the number of cases by leveraging its strong number one network of health care to diagnose and treat patients and by converting two hospitals into rehabilitation centers.
“Access to medical oxygen is also improving. The number of oxygen plants in the region increased from 78 to 119 and the availability of oxygen concentrators doubled from 3,000 to nearly 6,000.”
In response to a PUNCH consultation, Moeti said that due to the Nigerian population, it is mandatory to develop the testing capacity.
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He said WHO is aware of the difficult situations many African countries face when buying check kits.
Moeti said: “Nigeria has done a lot to increase the number of other controlled people, but we recognize that there is room for them to do more in terms of population verification and see that part of the check is negative.
“There is room for improvement in Nigeria, as in many other African countries. He faces the challenge of checking materials in sufficiently good quantities. I think they have done their best to paint with us and the African CDC and other partners to get what is needed.
In addition, WHO Director of Emergency Operations for Africa, Dr Michel Yao, said the number of laboratories would be higher as it would reduce the duration of testing.
Yao said it’s a good scenario where the control effects are delayed.
“The number of laboratories (in Nigeria) may be higher because the concept is to avoid heavy logistics for such tests. Therefore, sending the tests away delays the reaction and also delays the action that will be taken even in a case that have been positive. Therefore, additional decentralization is essential,” Yao added.
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