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United States Ambassador to Nigeria Robin Sanders has said the US spent 7million dollars to check the avian influenza pandemic in Nigeria last year.
She disclosed this at the commissioning of avian influenza diagnostic laboratory at Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja.
The money, according to her, was used in training, capacity building, donating equipment and other projects at the laboratory. She said with the funding from the US Government, the newly built laboratory is fully equipped with the latest PCR machines in order to strengthen Nigeria's diagnostic capacity and better preparedness to face the challenge of the global threat by the disease. She said America would continue to support Nigeria and investing in its people is as good as investing in the future of Nigeria.
"As at December 2008, there have been 298 confirmed outbreaks of avian influenza in poultry affecting 26 of the 36 states in Nigeria. The situation has led to the death of more than 1.3 million birds, and has resulted in loss of livelihood for many farmers. We are lucky that so far only one human case has been detected in this country", she said.
The Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Oshotimehin, in his response thanked the US government for helping Nigeria to fight against HIV/ AID and avian influenza through US Centre for Disease Control (CDC). He also said the programme is one of the major clusters Yar'adua administration is doing to protect the life its citizens and it is one of the seven point agenda of the present administration.
She disclosed this at the commissioning of avian influenza diagnostic laboratory at Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja.
The money, according to her, was used in training, capacity building, donating equipment and other projects at the laboratory. She said with the funding from the US Government, the newly built laboratory is fully equipped with the latest PCR machines in order to strengthen Nigeria's diagnostic capacity and better preparedness to face the challenge of the global threat by the disease. She said America would continue to support Nigeria and investing in its people is as good as investing in the future of Nigeria.
"As at December 2008, there have been 298 confirmed outbreaks of avian influenza in poultry affecting 26 of the 36 states in Nigeria. The situation has led to the death of more than 1.3 million birds, and has resulted in loss of livelihood for many farmers. We are lucky that so far only one human case has been detected in this country", she said.
The Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Oshotimehin, in his response thanked the US government for helping Nigeria to fight against HIV/ AID and avian influenza through US Centre for Disease Control (CDC). He also said the programme is one of the major clusters Yar'adua administration is doing to protect the life its citizens and it is one of the seven point agenda of the present administration.
