In a significant stride towards bolstering Zambia's public health infrastructure, U.S. Ambassador Michael C. Gonzales officially launched the National Multi-Pathogen Diagnostic Program (NMPDP) at the Livingstone University Teaching Hospital.
This event, held on July 30, 2024, also included the handover of nine Open PCR platforms to the Ministry of Health, marking a transformative step in the country's fight against infectious diseases.
The advanced PCR platforms are designed to test and identify a variety of pathogens, enhancing the diagnostic capabilities of Zambia's public health laboratories.
This initiative is a culmination of over two decades of collaboration between the U.S. government, through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Zambian Ministry of Health.
These cooperative agreements have provided direct financial support to the Ministry, advancing science-based public health initiatives, managing public health challenges, and improving health outcomes for the Zambian people.
Ambassador Gonzales highlighted the significance of the program, stating,
"Today's program launch and handover will provide accurate diagnostics to improve patient treatment and strengthen surveillance of existing and new infectious diseases.
This program will enhance the capacity of the Ministry of Health to control the spread of illnesses, ensuring better health outcomes for all Zambians."
The NMPDP aims to address significant gaps in Zambia's current diagnostic landscape by leveraging advanced molecular and microbiology techniques.
These methods will enable the timely and accurate detection of a wide range of pathogens, crucial for improving patient care and public health surveillance.
For over two decades, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has been instrumental in supporting the strengthening of laboratory systems in Zambia.
This includes support for 24 PCR laboratories with high-throughput testing capabilities and over 200 hub labs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Zambia demonstrated the feasibility and importance of integrating and harmonizing a multi-purpose laboratory system.
This PEPFAR-supported system, overseen by the Ministry of Health, resulted in Zambia achieving one of the highest COVID-19 testing rates among African countries. This success underscores the potential of PEPFAR as a foundation for further U.S. government Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) investments.
"Health security depends on our ability to detect new viruses and bacteria, identify novel pathogens, and build and sustain strong surveillance and laboratory systems with well-trained staff," emphasized Ambassador Gonzales.
"We look forward to working with Ministry of Health leadership to detect novel pathogens with the potential to cause epidemics or pandemics and to strengthen public health security throughout Zambia."
Since 2008, the U.S. government, through the CDC, has supported respiratory disease surveillance in Zambia. The National Influenza Center, hosted by the University Teaching Hospital Virology lab, conducts influenza and COVID-19 sentinel surveillance at 14 sites across Zambia with CDC support.
The launch of the NMPDP will extend the capacity of existing programs by supporting patient-centered care and enhancing surveillance for respiratory diseases nationwide.
Ambassador Gonzales expressed his gratitude to the various stakeholders who contributed to the success of this initiative, including the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and the Institute for Health Measurement (IHM).
"Thank you for your support to ensure the successful implementation of multi-pathogen diagnostics in Zambia," he said.
The launch of the NMPDP marks a new chapter in Zambia's efforts to improve public health and control the spread of infectious diseases, reinforcing the country's commitment to providing quality healthcare for all.
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