Afghanistan Unveils First Polio Diagnosis Laboratory
In a momentous ceremony attended by esteemed figures including His Excellency Dr. Qalandar Ebad, Minister of Public Health; Mawlawi Mohammad Ishaq Sahibzada, Deputy Minister of Finance and Administration; and Dr. Abdul Quddos Baryali, Director of the National Emergency Polio Eradication Center; for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr. Hamid Jafari, Director of Polio at the World Health Organization, celebrated the inauguration of its inaugural Polio Diagnosis Laboratory.
His Excellency Dr. Ebad, while commencing the laboratory's operations, underscored its pivotal role in early and precise polio diagnosis, emphasizing the nation's resolute commitment to eradicating the disease. He articulated the Ministry of Public Health's earnest endeavors towards eliminating polio from Afghanistan by year-end, citing transformative changes in the healthcare sector under the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan's leadership.
Highlighting the laboratory's significance, Dr. Hamid Jafari, Director of Polio at the World Health Organization for the Eastern Mediterranean, hailed its establishment as a monumental achievement in the global fight against polio, fostering optimism for enhanced collaboration within Afghanistan's healthcare realm.
Dr. Ahmad Nasir Hanafi, Director of Central Diagnostic Laboratories at the Ministry of Public Health, lauded the collaborative efforts between Afghan leadership and international partners, notably the Bill Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization, and the International Network of Polio Laboratories, in materializing the Polio Diagnosis Laboratory.
This ground-breaking initiative, supported by the Bill Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization, and the International Network of Polio Laboratories, marks a significant advancement in Afghanistan's healthcare infrastructure, poised to strengthen the nation's capacity for polio diagnosis and contribute to global eradication efforts.
