Opening of National Schistosomiasis and STH laboratory in Niamey

..... plus presentation to SCI for work against poverty in Niger

On the 29th of September 2006 Niger’s Minister of Health, Hon Mahamane Kabaou and the Director of SCI, Prof. Alan Fenwick officially opened the new laboratory and office space in the presence of several international, government and NGO representatives, including Niger’s Director of Disease Control, Dr. Ali Djibo; Niger’s WHO representative, Dr René Coddy; the director of CERMES (Institut Pasteur), Dr. Suzanne Chanteau; ITI’s Country Representative, Mr. Mohamed Samna; Helen Keller’s Country Director, Dr. Pierre Agdo-Adou; Burkina Faso’s National Schistosomiasis and STH Country Coordinator (PNLSc), Dr. Seydou Touré; and several representatives from other NGO’s (ie RISEAL) and government disease control and education programmes.

Image: The Minister of Health then presented (left to right in the picture) Dr. Bertrand Sellin (RISEAL), Professor Alan Fenwick and Mr. Howard Thompson (SCI) with the Ministry of Health’s highest honor, that of the medal of service to health in Niger.

Prof. Alan Fenwick, SCI Director, gave a speech detailing the hard work and success of Niger’s National Schistosomiasis and STH Control Programme (PNLBG) in delivering more than 4 million treatments in Niger in two years, the collaboration between the SCI and the ministries of health and education, the need to guarantee sustainability of such disease control programmes. He was pleased at the rapid benefits of reaching the poorest of the poor and the improved quality of life for the larger population of Niger. The Minister of Health then presented (left to right in the picture) Dr. Bertrand Sellin (RISEAL), Professor Alan Fenwick and Mr. Howard Thompson (SCI) with the Ministry of Health’s highest honor, that of the medal of service to health in Niger. The ceremony honoured both the Nigerian contribution to the control of Schistosomiasis and STH and SCI’s support to reducing the prevalence and intensity of such diseases in sub-Saharan Africa.

Prof. Alan Fenwick and Hon. Mahamane Kabaou officially opening the laboratory

The new laboratory and office building includes 3 laboratories (2 parasitology labs and 1 malacology lab), two offices and a large conference room. The space will enable the PNLBG team, and hopefully other neglected disease control programmes, to have access to modern laboratory space and materials. Along with presenting the Minister of Health with the keys to the new building, Prof. Alan Fenwick handed the keys to a new Toyota Hilux and 17 motorcycles for the PNLBG programme in Niger, to support delivery of drugs to rural areas.