World Health Organisation (WHO) has accredited three laboratories that will perform tests to detect monkeypox disease.
The three Laboratories are; the Uganda Virus Research Institute, National Health Laboratories services and the Department of Defence of the United States Government in Uganda.
On Tuesday, WHO donated PCR kits to test over 2,400 samples for monkeypox in Uganda.
Uganda welcomed the donation as a good step in preventing the disease in the country after Monkeypox was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on July 23, 2022.
“I would like to appreciate WHO for his generous contribution,” said Health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng while receiving the kits.
“We don’t have any case of Monkeypox in Uganda. However, as the country borders DRC, we need to be prepared, strengthen our surveillance system and make sure cases are urgently identified and treated,” she noted.
Aceng said the ministry has been carrying out tests for monkeypox.
“In the beginning, we were taking tests to South Africa as we run the race to make sure that the cartridges are available in Uganda,” she said.
She said the department of defence of the US government brought in the cartridges and they started testing in-country “as we wait for WHO to accredit the laboratories that would test so that our results are internationally recognised”.
WHO Representative to Uganda, Dr Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, said the PCR kits will strengthen Uganda’s capacity to test for Monkeypox in-country.
“WHO is committed to providing ongoing technical assistance to strengthen surveillance, risk communication, lab capacity, and training of health workers,” he added.
