Freetown, Sierra Leone, November 3 (Infosplusgabon) – The UK government on Thursday completed a US$ 5 million laboratory project for Sierra Leone’s health system, including the construction of three laboratories and the training of staff to run them.
The laboratory project is aimed at fighting future outbreaks in the country. This is part the British aid body, UK Aid’s, long term plan to prepare the African country from emergency response to preparedness.
During the Ebola outbreak in the country in 2014, Sierra Leone only had a single laboratory to conduct test for viral diseases.
The latest project for the health sector involved the renovation and equipping of two new laboratories in the Southern city of Bo and the Northern city of Makeni and one at the Connaught Hospital in the capital, Freetown.
The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Brima Kargbo, told PANA that “Recognition of disease through the laboratory system is the foundation of disease control and prevention.”
The UK High Commissioner to the country, Guy Warrington, said he is proud of his country’s commitment to support the project and expressed the hope that the facilities will be put to good use in future.
“I look forward to these labs continuing to serve the people of Sierra Leone and helping to keep them safe from infectious diseases for many years to come,” Warrington told the media.
FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/KGO/GABON 2017
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