11th October, 2017
The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR)’s Centre for Human Virology and Genomics Research Laboratory has been accredited by the International Standards Organisation (ISO).
Prof. Babatunde Salako, the NIMR Director-General, made this known at a press briefing on Wednesday in Lagos.
“The centre, with unique accreditation number M0588, has been listed as a South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) and Accredited Medical Testing Laboratory.
“Making it the first public health laboratory in Nigeria to attain this status.
“The scope of the accreditation covers Molecular Diagnostics, Serology and Clonical Chemistry,’’ Salako said.
According to him, laboratory accreditation is highly regarded, both nationally and internationally, as a reliable indicator of technical competence.
“Result generated from such laboratories are comparable with those produced by any accredited laboratory in the in the world,’’ he said.
The director-general applauded SANAS for the confidence reposed in NIMR to carry out such enormous responsibility.
He said that NIMR was prepared to collaborate with relevant institutions to conduct research and also promote national health and development.
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“We have expertise in the area of HIV, Hepatitis B and C.
“We hope to include research on poliomyelitis, Lassa fever and other arboviruses very soon,” the director-general said.
Salako called on the Federal Ministry of Health to recognise and designate the NIMR accredited research laboratory as the Centre for HIV drug resistant testing in Nigeria.
“This will enable the centre to conduct HIV drug resistance surveillance, being the only laboratory that has this capacity to do so for now,” he said.
Also, Dr Rosemary Audu, the Laboratory Director, Centre for Human Virology and Genomics (CHVG) in NIMR, said that the accreditation would improve the laboratory rating both nationally and internationally.
“This clearly demonstrates that NIMR CHVG is capable of generating technically valid results and will also minimise quality costs which comprises failure, appraisal and remedial costs.
“Data generated from NIMR CHVG will be scientifically credible, legally defensible and also possess documentary evidences required for global trade,” she said.
Audu said that accreditation of medical laboratory in Nigeria was not common.
“Until now, none of the nation’s 5,349 medical laboratories has been able to attain such international accreditation,’’ she said.
According to her, the CHVG collaborated with many stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Health, Universities Teaching Hospitals, Association of Professional Medical Bodies, amongst others.