On Friday, the Minister of Health, Ussene Isse, inaugurated a Public Health Laboratory in the city of Xai-xai, Gaza province, so that Mozambique now has public health laboratories in all provincial capitals, with the exception of the city and province of Maputo.

Budgeted at 700,000 dollars, from the Mozambican state and the Global Fund, including the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the laboratory has the capacity to process around 600 samples every eight working hours. Gaza now has laboratory diagnostic capacity for outbreaks and epidemics.

Speaking at the event, Isse said that the new laboratory would increase the province's technological capacity to carry out scientific research activities, including the training of health professionals at provincial level.

In addition to investment in state-of-the-art infrastructure, equipment and information systems, the laboratory, according to Isse, is equipped with human resources trained in the areas of molecular diagnostics, laboratory testing quality, biosafety and bioprotection.

The health authorities guarantee that the laboratory will improve the capacity to assess the quality of testing carried out in the province and provide technical support to clinical laboratories. In fact, said the minister, the laboratory has qualified human resources for testing for different diseases, something that translates into important gains for the health of the province's population.

"We believe that with this combination of modern technology and qualified technicians, the province is in a better position to respond to the main current and future public health challenges," he said.

With the inauguration of the Gaza Public Health Laboratory, Mozambique, according to Isse, is taking a giant step towards becoming the only African country with a network of public health laboratories in every province.