ISLAMABAD, Sept 11: A state of the art molecular virology sequencing laboratory was inaugurated at the National Institute of Health (NIH) here on Thursday.

The laboratory, which will help Pakistan to carry out genetic sequencing of viruses, would initially be utilised for molecular analysis of the poliovirus, eradication of measles and other preventable childhood diseases.

Earlier, Pakistan had to depend on the Atlanta-based Centre for Disease Control (CDC) for such tests.

The laboratory was inaugurated by Parliamentary Secretary for Health Ms Raheela Yahyha Munawar on behalf of the health minister.

The participants were told that the laboratory was the first hi-tech facility of its kind in Pakistan as well as in the entire Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR).

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Munawar said the laboratory was a symbol of Pakistan’s commitment to achieving technological advancement in the health sector. She said the laboratory was a living example of collaboration and teamwork between the Government of Pakistan and its international partners.

Ms Munawar appreciated the efforts of the Government of Japan, Rotary International and WHO for their technical and financial assistance to develop the laboratory in less than two years.

She was of the view that the laboratory would help save precious resources, time, strengthen indigenous capacity, improve programme surveillance and allow the managers to better plan their immunisation campaigns, which was vital to completely weed out poliovirus. The campaign is in its last phase.

Earlier, the ambassador of Japan, Minoru Shibuya, also congratulated Pakistan and said the Government of Japan had contributed $38.5 million for polio immunisation in Pakistan since 1996, and $9 million in the fight against neo-natal tetanus.

Dr Gezairy, WHO Regional Director, emphasized the need for assuming ownership to the anti-polio campaign saying, “We are on the right track and have entered the final phase of polio eradication.”

He recalled that earlier Pakistan was accounted for 25 per cent of all polio cases, but now the number had significantly declined saying every single penny, cent, or rupee spent on this programme was worth spending as it was the most cost-effective programme ever conceived and implemented to eradicate polio from the country.

Earlier, Dr Athar Saeed Dil, Executive Director of NIH, said with the addition of this laboratory, the institute’s capacity to handle samples would increase manifold, as diagnostic period would now be reduced from 60 to 30 days. It would also help minimize the shipment difficulties, experienced in sending samples abroad.

He said the co-location of the surveillance system and the laboratory would step up communication, enhance accuracy of data, and result in swifter action.

He explained that earlier 28 days were required to diagnose whether the samples were positive or negative for poliovirus after which isolates were sent to the CDC where another month was required to perform the Polymerise Chain Reaction (PCR) and genetic sequencing to determine the virus.

This information was then matched with other isolates to ascertain their relationship to those viruses. The sequencing gives an idea about the pattern of the spread of these viruses, he informed.

Mr Fumio Tamamura, the Trustee of Rotary International, said Rotary had spent $500 million for the cause of polio eradication ever since its participation in the global initiative in 1985.