By eastafrican gazette
Kampala
The Republic Federation has handed over two state of art mobile lab trucks to the Ministry of Health to aid the country in the future detection of pandemics.
The two trucks were handed over to the state minister for Health in Charge of Health Duties Anifah Kawooya, at Sheraton Hotel in Kampala.
This was during the closure of the first two days Joint Africa-Russia International Conference on Combating Infectious Diseases on April 19, 2024.
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The program was announced by the Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Second Russia-Africa Summit last year (2023). Uganda becomes the first country to host the historical conference, which is expected to be held every after two years.
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The “Rospotrebnadzor Russian Cooperation Program with African Countries on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases” as it is referred to, is based on Russian scientific and practical experience in dealing with biological threats.
It stresses implementation cooperation in modern epidemiological surveillance and control technologies, the supply of mobile laboratories and equipment, specialist training and team exercises, and rapid response to strengthen national health systems and maintain African countries’ “biological sovereignty”.
It focuses on strengthening collaborative interventions to deal with future pandemics.
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The two trucks include a Bacteriological Laboratory, and a Sanitary and Microbiological Laboratory.
The delivery of the truck is in the fulfillment of the Russia’s pledge during a sideline health event at the Second Russia-Africa Summit in St. Peterburg last year (2023).
In her remarks Nakawooya expressed gratitude to the Russian government, stating that Uganda is committed to ensuring that the mobile laboratories are used effectively.
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She stated that the meeting is timely and historical, as countries come together to create strong collaborations and discuss how to tackle future infectious illnesses.
With these mobile laboratories, the ministry of health will now be able to traverse the various parts of the country and carry out several tests without transporting samples to Kampala like it was during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The minister noted that the meeting and the participation for the first conference is a clear demonstration that they are all working together for the same goal, to find significant strategies to tackle infectious diseases across the African continent and other parts of the world.
The Conference was attended both in person and online by over 150 professionals from 15 nations, as well as two international organizations, the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDCP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The expertise comprised scientists from epidemiology, microbiology, and infectious disease laboratory diagnostics.
Other countries which participated include Burkina Faso, Burundi, Guinea, Arab Republic of Egypt, Zambia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Ethiopia, South Africa, Vietnam, and Uganda the host.
Nakawooya stressed that the Ministry of Health cherishes Russian collaboration and intends to form a strong partnership, especially in the fight against future pandemics.
“You have all alluded to the experiences we had during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can see, all of us are here for a good cause to find solutions to our own problems, how we can address the future pandemics, and how prepared we must all be,” she noted.
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The minister emphasized that the experiences and insights shared at the two-day meeting will serve as a milestone in changing the way “we detect and manage infectious diseases, as well as any future pandemics”.
“This time we should not say we were caught off guard, because we are preparing ourselves,” she added.
She commended Uganda’s President and Russia for taking on the initiative to strengthen engagement and partnerships.
Vyacheslav Smolensky, Head of the Russian Delegation, stated that the program began last year during the African-Russia summit, and they have been able to achieve cooperation with other African states.
“It is very important for us that this conference should gain more power and we as co-organisers with other African countries will be very happy, to hear about the support of the proposals in the conference so that this conference should also become more regularly organized every two years but this is a decision that will be discussed among our African partners,” he added.
He emphasized that the next meeting will center on addressing collaborative research and publications.
Smolensky thanked all of the countries that took part in the historic summit, stating that it was the beginning of a great relationship between Russia and Africa in the humanitarian sector as well as the battle against infectious illnesses.
Russia, with its extensive experience in fighting infectious diseases and using mobile laboratories, consistently supports the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR).
The participants discussed the issues associated with the spread of infections in Africa such as Ebola fever, cholera, plague, measles, HIV, tuberculosis, and COVID-19.
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They further emphasized the importance of expanding scientific interaction between Russian and African scientists, creating conditions for the formation of full and mutually beneficial scientific partnerships, information, and technology exchange, including in the field of responding to newly emerging infectious diseases.
They appreciated the Republic of Uganda and the Russian Federation for organizing the First Joint Russian-African International Conference on the Control of Infectious Diseases, which was held in the spirit of unity, equality, openness, and mutual respect, and gave participants equal opportunities to speak on topical issues of study, prevention, and response to epidemics.