2ND REGIONAL ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE: Buhari Congratulates Newly Inducted Fellows Of W/African Postgraduate College Of Medical Laboratory Science

Dr. Osagie Ehanire

"Even health systems thought to be among the most resilient were brought to their knees, as commodities, supply chains, human resources for health and bed capacities, were stretched to their limits".... Ehanire. 

"National economies were also threatened worldwide. More significantly, the pandemic exposed weaknesses and gaps in various health systems, including in country laboratory capacities".

Nigeria's President, Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, has congratulated newly inducted Fellows of the West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science, MLS, at an event held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

Represented by the Honourable Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire at the event with its theme; ‘’Improving Global Health By Strengthening Laboratory Capacity in Africa", congratulated the West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science on the occasion of their 2nd Regional Annual Scientific Conference and induction of newly elected Fellows of the College.

According to the Honourable Minister in his speech at the occasion, "the theme of this conference befits the times we are in, with the challenge the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic has posed to global health since 2019".

Ehanire noted that, "even health systems thought to be among the most resilient were brought to their knees, as commodities, supply chains, human resources for health and bed capacities, were stretched to their limits. National economies were also threatened worldwide. More significantly, the pandemic exposed weaknesses and gaps in various health systems, including in country laboratory capacities".

The Health Minister revealed that, "when the first Covid-19 case in Nigeria was confirmed on 27th of February 2020, in Lagos in a visiting alien citizen, our public molecular laboratory inventory was just two. But it is one of these diagnostic capacities, even in that early stage, that enabled us get control and confidence, in the anxiety laden first phase of Covid-19 pandemic". 

"WHO did a good job of training scientists to have the capacity to conduct the tests", he said.

"Our molecular laboratory assets have since increased to over 140, in both private and public sphere, while knowledge and skills to conduct molecular testing has spread to hundreds of laboratory scientists around the nation". 

"This rapid and widespread expansion of diagnostic capacity was one of the advantages that not helped us manage the Covid-19 pandemic in an accurate and safe manner", he said.

The Honourable Minister further stressed in his speech that, "Government has provided funds for establishment of molecular laboratories in all Federal tertiary health institutions and research centres. State Governments and Development Partners have also supported laboratory strengthening in different ways".

"The SARS-COV-2 was labelled "novel" in the early days, a warning that its properties and behaviour were not known, or just unfolding. We know more today, but are still grappling with new revelations about the virus, some of which surprise us, showing that we still have more to learn". 

According to Ehanire, "We must therefore continue on alert. Government will provide the enabling environment, and opportunities for Nigerian scientists to increase their knowledge and sharpen their skills, to pursue research and development, and also contribute to the body of knowledge on this virus". 

"This is where the West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science needs to play the role of ensuring that relevant quality human resource capacity is developed in the West African subregion, to upgrade laboratory capacity and strengthen the Health System".

The Minister therefore, charged the new inductees to position themselves to improve quality of service, whenever it is required of them even as he wished all the participants, a successful conference.