The United States has debunked that it is spreading
monkeypox through US-funded laboratories in Nigeria.
Over the weekend, there were reports that Russia had called
on the World Health Organisation (WHO) to investigate US-funded laboratories in
Nigeria.
The reports hinted that the laboratories were involved in
the recent monkeypox outbreak in some countries.
Reacting in a statement issued on Tuesday, the US consulate
said “there are no U.S.-controlled” laboratories in Nigeria and described the
reports as “misleading and pure fabrication”.
“There is zero merit to any allegations regarding the use of
U.S.-assisted Nigerian laboratories in the spread of monkeypox,” the statement
reads.
“These falsehoods detract from the work that the United
States, in close coordination with Nigerian and multilateral partners,
accomplished together on public health, including in disease surveillance,
diagnosis, prevention, and control.
“The collaborative work between Nigeria and the United
States has provided opportunities for technical assistance in capacity
building, equipment, commodities/consumables, and funding to critical public
health programmes, hospitals and laboratories.
“All of this contributes greatly to the prevention and
amelioration of global disease outbreaks.”
The consulate said the US government continues to work
closely with Nigeria in responding to the outbreak while supporting national
and state laboratories with technical assistance and funding.
It, however, noted that “these laboratories are Nigerian,
and U.S. support enables them to provide essential services for the public good
and the health of Nigeria’s citizens”.
“Especially important, our support to laboratories across
the country extends to quality improvements that ensure they have appropriate
levels of biosafety and biosecurity requirements in place,” the statement
reads.
“We will continue to
collaborate with the Nigerian government on the ongoing global monkeypox and
COVID-19 outbreaks and intensify support to Nigeria in other areas on which we
have proudly partnered over the years, such as HIV epidemic control,
tuberculosis eradication, malaria elimination, prevention of vaccine-preventable
disease, and enhancing food and nutrition.”
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