U.S. Donates $1.6 Million Mobile Labs to Zambia

Zambia's ability to detect and respond to disease outbreaks has received a significant boost, after the United States handed over three mobile laboratories to the Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI). The donation is valued at 1.6 million dollars.

At the handover ceremony in Lusaka, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Mich Coker said each laboratory came stocked with more than 20,000 items and could be up and running within two hours of arriving on site. He said the facilities would sharpen the country's ability to diagnose, detect and identify infectious diseases quickly.

Welcoming the donation, Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services Dr Kennedy Lishimpi said it marked an important step towards a stronger and more resilient healthcare system.

ZNPHI Director General Dr Roma Chilengi highlighted a practical advantage of the new units: a 400-watt solar power system that allows them to function even where mains electricity is unreliable or unavailable, extending their use to harder-to-reach parts of the country.