Leadership (Abuja)
Bernard Tolani Dada
8 November 2009
Uyo — An infant molecular virology laboratory for early detection and monitoring of HIV/AIDS pandemic has been opened at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital in Akwa Ibom State.
The new laboratory built by the Institute of Human Virology of Nigeria and the Clinton HIV/AIDS initiatives in colaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health will serve states in the South South geo-political zone of the country. Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio, who was represented at the occassion by his deputy Eng Patrick Ekpotu said his administration was ready to partner any agency to provide for the health needs of the people. He said to this end, his administration had embarked on the training of health personel in all hospitals across the state to enable them acquire more knowledge in the area of infant diagnosis services.
Chief Akpabio expressed the hope that the new laboratory would provide the needed diagnostic services to HIV/AIDS exposed infants born to HIV positive parents in the South South region. He advocated for adequate public awareness for the full utilization of the facility and commended all the partners for ensuring the completion of the project and for laying a solid foundation for the hospital. In his key note address, national coordinator HIV/AIDS in the Federal Ministry of Health, DR. Jide Coker, stated that since the programme started in 2007, more than six of such facilities had been built in various part of the country with over 2300 blood samples tested.
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