- The WHO has deployed solar panels at a laboratory at the University of Maiduguri Teaching hospital.
- The system has a total capacity of 15.84kW.
- Maiduguri has been disconnected from the grid following insurgent attacks this year.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has deployed solar panels at a polio laboratory in Maiduguri. The panels which were commissioned by the WHO Country Representative, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, will support the state government to provide essential health services in the state. The system comprises 48, 330W capacity solar panels, 21 KVA inverters and 24 tabular batteries which will provide 24-hours power supply to a quick testing laboratory for Acute Flaccid paralysis (AFP) from samples collected from the field.
Borno state in recent years have seen an increased attack on electrical installations from terrorists. Insurgents have targeted electricity transmission infrastructure twice this year already leading to power outage in Maiduguri, hampering theoperations at the accredited Polio laboratory at the University of Maiduguri Teaching hospital.
The laboratory currently serves the 10 most vulnerable states in Northern Nigeria with over 10,000 AFP stool samples and over 500 environmental samples analysed since the beginning of the year.
Dr Mulombo who commended the University management also added that the “WHO will provide additional support to ensure the capacity of the polio laboratory in strengthening the fight against poliovirus in Nigeria. Also, WHO will continue to support the state technically and ensure essential health services are adequately provided.”.
Also Professor Ibrahim Kidda, Head of Department, Immunology Department at the hospital noted that the solar system would play an enormous role in ensuring continuity of the laboratory activities ensuring that Nigeria contributes to the Global Polio Eradication Efforts.