PEPFAR funded Lab handed over to Guyana gov
PEPFAR Funded National Lab Presented to Guyana Government
Chargé d’Affaires Karen L. Williams unveiled the plaque at the handing over ceremony for the new National Public Health Institute (NPHI). Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck, Chief of Party for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Guyana, presented the symbolic key to the Minister of Health, the Honorable Dr. Leslie Ramsammy.
The 1500 square metre structure, located within the precincts of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, will house two components: the National Public Health Reference Laboratory, and the Comprehensive Care and Treatment Center (formerly known as the GUM clinic). The lab will bridge the gap between routine clinical laboratory testing and specialized reference testing and serve as the nucleus of national laboratory services, and as such will host many of the national laboratory services’ core functions.
The facility was built with funding from the U.S. Government under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), at a cost of US$4.4 million. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was the executing agency for this project.
The project highlights the collaborative efforts of the entire US Mission (including CDC) and other donors such as the World Bank and the Clinton Foundation; and underlines the U.S. commitment to positively impacting the health of the people of Guyana.