Monkeypox: Nigeria Has No US-controlled Laboratories

The United States government is denying all allegations concerning the use of US-assisted Nigerian laboratories in the spread of monkeypox in Nigeria.

Temitayo Famutimi, the Information Specialist for the Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the Consulate General of the United States in Nigeria, issued a statement in which the embassy condemned recent social media posts making assumptions about the origin of monkeypox illness. The embassy also called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to investigate the alleged role of “US-controlled laboratories” in Nigeria.

The statement said that the reports were pure fabrication, “There is zero merit to any allegations regarding the use of U.S.-assisted Nigerian laboratories in the spread of monkeypox. Furthermore, there are no U.S.-controlled laboratories in Nigeria. These falsehoods detract from the work that the United States, in close coordination with Nigerian and multilateral partners, accomplish together on public health, including in disease surveillance, diagnosis, prevention, and control.”

While it dismissed the allegations, the embassy also said that the collaborative work between Nigeria and the United States had provided many opportunities for technical assistance in capacity building, equipment, commodities/consumables, and funding to critical public health program, hospitals and laboratories.

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“All of this contributes greatly to the prevention and amelioration of global disease outbreaks. Monkeypox is not a new disease, nor is it unique to Nigeria or this region, having first been diagnosed in 1970 in the DRC. As we work together to contain its spread, exported cases have been reported in the United Kingdom, United States, and other parts of the world.”

The embassy also stated that the United States government would still continue to lend its support and work closely with the Nigerian government in responding to the Monkeypox outbreak.

The embassy explained that through the collaborative interventions, the US government agencies working in Nigeria (including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Program) and their implementing partners have supported both national and state laboratories with technical assistance and funding.

“These laboratories are Nigerian, and U.S. support enables them to provide essential services for the public good and the health of Nigeria’s citizens. Especially important, our support to laboratories across the country extends to quality improvements that ensure they have appropriate levels of biosafety and biosecurity requirements in place. We will continue to collaborate with the Nigerian government on the ongoing global monkeypox and COVID-19 outbreaks and intensify support to Nigeria in other areas on which we have proudly partnered over the years, such as HIV epidemic control, tuberculosis eradication, malaria elimination, prevention of vaccine-preventable disease, and enhancing food and nutrition.”