Luanda - Over the last three years, the United States government has disbursed around two million dollars to support the Republic of Angola in preventing and fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among other things, the money has been used to buy materials to support Angolan laboratory technicians, equipment to detect diseases and to implement quality assurance programmes.
This amount also made it possible to distribute more than 20,000 tests and sample collection supplies, train 420 technicians in biosafety procedures and COVID-19 testing throughout the country.
The information was provided on Thursday by the Minister Counsellor of the US Embassy in Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe, Mea Arnold, stressing that this assistance to Angola was aimed at guaranteeing quality diagnoses.
The diplomat made this statement at the closing ceremony of the "International Task Force for Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Project of the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET)".
During this period, she said, information systems were also implemented in two laboratories, which helped to organize the management and speed of delivery of test results and to decontaminate 375 laboratories for the safety of technicians.
Mea Arnold added that scientific equipment has also been donated for future tests, and ten laboratories and 17 molecular testing sections have been enrolled in external quality assurance programmes.
In her opinion, all this support has strengthened the reliability of test results, improving control of the COVID-19 pandemic and the national laboratory's ability to respond to other emerging diseases.
According to the Minister Counsellor of the US Embassy, the project was successful because of the collaboration of all the partners in the laboratories, especially those from the main laboratory, the Benguela Regional Laboratory, and some civilian and military personnel.
"Although this project has ended successfully, the US government remains committed to supporting the Ministry of Health in identifying and responding to public health emergencies," he emphasized.
As such, she continued, the United States of America will continue to collaborate with government institutions, international actors and partners to improve the health of all Angolans.
In turn, the National Director of Public Health, Helga Freitas, recognized the technical and financial support provided by US agencies and the promotion of actions for a more rapid response to the pandemic, in an effective and evidence-based manner.
The Angolan official highlighted the importance of countries being able to prevent, prepare for and respond to pandemics and epidemics, where laboratory surveillance is a basic and fundamental capability.
She emphasized that this would allow health systems to respond to public health emergencies, under the terms of the International Health Regulations.
"The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and AFENET have played a crucial role in strengthening technical and epidemiological surveillance and laboratory capacities, equipping laboratories and implementing laboratory quality improvement systems," she said.
The two institutions have also contributed to raising the level of the country's capacity to prevent, prepare for and respond to pandemics and epidemics, factors that have contributed to this project producing the recommended results. SL/MDS/DAN/DOJ
