US hands over sh28b laboratory to Health Ministry

Jan 15, 2016

The U.S. Mission Uganda's Chargé d’Affaires, Patricia Mahoney, handed over the laboratory to the state minister for health in charge of general duties, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi.

                 

The US government has completed the construction of the National Health Laboratory valued at $8m (about sh28b) and handed it over to the Health ministry.

 

Funding for construction of the recently completed laboratory came from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). 

 

The National Health Laboratory project began in 2012 when the Ministry of Health requested the assistance of the US' CDC to support the construction of a laboratory to address critical gaps in Uganda's health service delivery system.   But construction work began in 2013.

 

The U.S. Mission Uganda's Chargé d'Affaires, Patricia Mahoney, handed over the laboratory to the state minister for health in charge of general duties, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi on Friday, January 15, at the laboratory in Butabika, Kampala.

 

At the handover ceremony, Mahoney noted, "This building represents our partnership with the people of Uganda and our commitment to helping Uganda build its future. We will continue to work with the Government of Uganda and the Ministry of Health in the coming years to strengthen Uganda's health infrastructure and ensure it becomes strong, efficient and self-sustaining."

 

The National Health Laboratory will strengthen all of Uganda's health systems by providing a valuable resource for the detection, control and ongoing surveillance of the diseases which impact the health and productivity of Ugandans. 

 

While the priority of this new facility will be HIV diagnosis, prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV and viral load monitoring capacity, many other disease areas and health needs will benefit from this laboratory. 

 

The Ministry's sickle cell and Hepatitis B virus screening and the World Health Organisation-supported meningitis, cholera and typhoid screening program will as well make use of this facility.  

 

The National Health Laboratory could also be used for confirmation of bacterial disease outbreaks and for malaria diagnostics.   

 

 

                    

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});