Fondation Merieux [to 7 May 2016]
Mission: Contribute to global health by strengthening local capacities of developing countries to reduce the impact of infectious diseases on vulnerable populations.
http://www.fondation-merieux.org/news

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5 May 2016, Port-au-Prince (Haiti)
SPHaïtiLAB Conducts 1st Assessment of Biomedical Analysis Laboratories in Haiti
Providing essential data to build a national laboratory policy tailored to the country’s needs.
The 1st assessment of biomedical analysis laboratories in Haiti is presented today at the Kinam Hotel, under the high authority of the Ministry of Public Health and Population. Mr. Vincent Degert, European Union Ambassador to Haiti, Mrs. Elisabeth Beton Delègue, French Ambassador to Haiti, Dr. Jacques Boncy, Director of the National Public Health Laboratory (LNSP), Dr. Paul Adrien, Director of the Department of Laboratory and Research Epidemiology (DELR), Dr. Stalz Charles Vilbrun of the Haitian Group for the Study of Kaposi’s Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections (GHESKIO) and Mr. Benoît Miribel, Director General of Fondation Mérieux, as well as representatives from WHO, the U.S. CDC and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) will also be among the participants. This analysis is the first result of the SPHaïtiLAB project, designed by the LNSP as part of the Ministry of Public Health and Population’s ambitious plan to reinforce the country’s laboratory sector.

On the occasion of this presentation, the European Union Ambassador to Haiti, Vincent Degert, declared: “The European Union is proud to support this initiative for which it has mobilized a 1,432,000 euro funding package. This project is very timely to help improve epidemiological surveillance, an essential part of a health system.” He went on to add: “Health, like education, is the measure of a country’s human development. We hope that this project, by supporting the country’s main stakeholders in health and laboratory policy, will effect real change in the prevention of disease and help fulfill the legitimate aspiration of each and every Haitian to benefit fully from the well-being and harmony that good health brings.”

The laboratory plays a vital role, giving doctors the information they need to provide good patient care. It is also an essential tool for the surveillance of epidemics. SPHaïtiLAB aims to improve the health of the Haitian population by providing analysis and strategic advice on laboratory and research policy. Funded by the European Union, the project is led by the LNSP in partnership with the DELR, the GHESKIO Centers and the African Institute of Public Health (IASP) of Burkina Faso. Fondation Mérieux manages the project and provides financial support…