UN envoy commends advances in testing of COVID-19, welcomes efforts to build medical capacity for the future
Monday June 29, 2020
With the emergence of COVID-19 in Somalia, the NPHRL was rapidly upgraded to an appropriate bio-safety level, and WHO donated a real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based testing machine to immediately capacitate it for testing COVID-19 samples.
Testing of COVID-19 samples by
real-time PCR machines is regarded by WHO as the ‘gold standard.’ After
training by international experts, NPHRL staff are now testing COVID-19
samples on their own.
The NPHRL started to test samples for COVID-19 in April, and can now test up to 180 samples a day.
The
current testing capacity can further be upgraded to 360 samples a day
whenever needed. From 7 April to 23 June, the NPHRL has tested 6,572
samples for COVID-19.
The laboratory is also the only
reference laboratory for testing of COVID-19 samples collected from some
of the Federal Member States, notably Galmudug, Hirshabelle, South West
State and Jubaland.
WHO has provided the internal quality
assurance protocol and training online to ensure that standard
laboratory quality assurance measures are strictly followed at the
NPHRL.
The UN health agency has provided enough testing kits
and other items for testing samples until September 2020, and has also
provided other supplies.
WHO has also supported the
establishment of two other real-time PCR-based laboratories in Garowe
and Hargeisa, and is providing similar types of support in the form of
laboratory equipment and consumable supplies.
While the
laboratories are currently focussed on the COVID-19 response, the United
Nations sees the three laboratories as an investment for Somalia's
future.
"The NPHRL and the two other laboratories with
PCR-based testing capability will be able to rapidly detect and diagnose
any other infectious diseases in the future – including any new and
novel disease pathogens, and without any external support or assistance.
This is an important investment for the future of Somalia,” Mr. Swan
said.
In addition to WHO, the UN World Food Programme (WFP), UN Support Office for Somalia (UNSOS) and UN Development Programme (UNDP) have provided support for the NPHRL, as have other international partners.
UN envoy commends advances in testing of COVID-19, welcomes efforts to build medical capacity for the future
The United Nations envoy to the country commended Somalia's advances in diagnostic testing for COVID-19, and highlighted the importance of the national laboratory and other laboratories throughout the country in the COVID-19 response.