U.S. Hands Over Molecular Lab

30 January 2012

Ambassador Jackson (left) officially opens the molecular lab at MCH as the MoH Director of SWAP Annie Phoya (right), USAID and CDC Directors (behind) look on”

It was all smiles for Ministry of Health officials, Mzuzu Central Hospital management, staff and the community when they officially received a molecular laboratory on Thursday January 26th 2012, which has been refurbished by the United States Government through the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR).

The state-of-the-art laboratory was officially opened and handed over to the Ministry of Health by U.S. Ambassador to Malawi Jeanine Jackson.  In her remarks, Jackson said the U.S. Government is firmly committed to its continued partnership with Malawians to help them achieve an “AIDS-free generation”.  Receiving the lab on behalf of the Government of Malawi, Director of Sector Wide Approach (SWAP) in the Ministry of Health, Annie Phoya thanked the U.S. Government for the timely assistance.

The lab will be used in detecting HIV 1 in infants and determine viral load in HIV-positive children and adults. 
In late 2011, President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for achieving an “AIDS free generation”.  This laboratory will help achieve this goal by saving infant lives in the northern region of Malawi and by contributing to a stronger national laboratory system and professional community.