FG to spend N4.3bn on syphilis, HIV test kits

The Federal Executive Council yesterday approved N4,347,500,000 for procurement of HIV and syphilis test kits.

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, disclosed this to reporters after the FEC meeting.

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He said: “As you all know, Nigeria has succeeded in driving down the HIV prevalence from 3% to 1.3%. The nationality indicator and the impact survey that was done recently, now we want to push it further down by being able to do more testing, particularly of mothers who may be carrying HIV and they don’t know it, and they can pass it on to their unborn children.

“So, these test kits we’re procuring and we’re also including those test kits that can also detect syphilis. Syphilis, as you all know, is another sexually transmitted disease. So, this memo was presented today and passed by Council.”

Ehanire said the FEC also approved N1,262,269,939 for purchase of equipment for six laboratories in the country and N3,064,582,050.01 for a new vaccine laboratory “that will help us when we start manufacturing vaccines.”

Before the commencement of the FEC meeting, President Muhammadu Buhari had sworn in five permanent secretaries: Ibrahim Yusuf (Katsina), Olusesan Adebiyi (Ekiti), Maryanne Onwudiwe (Enugu), Marcus Ogunbiyi (Lagos) and Ibrahim Abubakar Kana (Nasarawa).