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NACA Charges Stakeholders On Meeting HIV/AIDS 2030 Eradication Target—-The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), has urged stakeholders in the HIV and AIDS national response to ensure the success of the sustainability agenda of ending the endemic by 2030.
Dr Gambo Gumel, the  Director-General of NACA, made the call after a meeting with development partners and stakeholders in Abuja.
He also urged stakeholders  to initiate the sustainability process to ensure Nigeria takes ownership and control of the HIV and AIDS national response when foreign funds cease to flow.
”We need to identify sustainable structures that support health services across the federal and state institutions for services integration as key to sustaining HIV response in the countr,” he saidy.
He urged stakeholders to help accelerate the process to meet Nigeria’s timelines to end AIDS as a public health concern.
Gumel explained that the meeting opens the critical discussions around how the HIV programme could be sustained and integrated into normal health services when the disease would be no longer an epidemic but endemic as others.
Dr Yewande Olaifa, Deputy Director at NACA said: “The agenda is an effective and efficient HIV response owned, driven, resourced and led by the people and the government of Nigeria at different levels.
“With support from her partners in line with the Paris Declaration 2005.”
NAN reports that United Nations Member States committed to implementing a bold agenda to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York from June 8, 2016  to June 10, 2016.

The main targets for combatting HIV/AIDS in the next 15 years include: by 2020, reduce by 30 per cent new cases of chronic viral hepatitis B and C infections and reach 3 million people with hepatitis C virus treatment;

Others ar by 2020, 70 per cent of countries have at least 95 per cent of pregnant women screened for syphilis; 95 per cent of pregnant women screened for HIV and 90 per cent of pregnant women living with HIV receiving effective treatment; By 2020, screen every woman living with HIV for cervical cancer;

Others are by 2020, expand access to family planning information, services and supplies to an additional 120 million women and girls in 69 priority countries; • By 2020, reduce the number of tuberculosis deaths among people living with HIV by 75 per cent;

World leaders also agreed that by 2025, they intend to achieve a 25 per cent relative reduction in the overall mortality from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory diseases; by 2025, reach 80 per cent availability of the affordable basic technologies and essential medicines, including generic medications, required to treat major non-communicable diseases in both public and private facilities.

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EL-LAB Limited Marks 2025 World Quality Week With innovation

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EL-LAB Limited Marks 2025 World Quality Week With innovation

EL-LAB Limited Marks 2025 World Quality Week With innovation

 

EL-LAB Medical Diagnostics and Research Centre, Nigeria’s leading ISO-certified diagnostic centre, today announced its dedication to global quality standards, marking World Quality Week 2025 with the theme “Quality: Think differently” and highlighting its ISO 15189:2022 accreditation.

The centre, which was established in 1998 (27 years ago), has provided advanced medical testing services across Lagos State and continues to contribute significantly to the development of the Nigerian health sector.

Quality: The Silent Foundation of Clinical Decisions

In a statement issued by the company, Mrs. Blessing Nwakobi, Quality Assurance Manager, emphasized that Quality Assurance is the cornerstone of reliable medical diagnosis.

“In healthcare, laboratories are the silent foundation of clinical decisions. Most medical diagnoses rely on accurate laboratory results, thereby making Quality Assurance fundamental to patient safety and clinical excellence,” Mrs. Nwakobi stated

Through the successful transition to the ISO 15189:2022 standard—the highest international benchmark for medical laboratories—EL-LAB demonstrates its unwavering commitment to excellence, impartiality, and safety. This accreditation ensures that the centre’s quality management system is not merely compliant, but a living culture of competence and continual improvement.

The system is strategically built on principles including:

Patient Centred Services
Risk-Based Thinking
Continuous Improvement

·       Staff engagement, Competence and Training

This risk-based approach ensures that all activities which pose a risk to patients are managed proactively, assuring the best possible outcomes across the entire testing process

The robust quality management strategy integrates comprehensive mechanisms to guarantee the integrity of every result. Quality assurance at EL-LAB involves the strict adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), vigorous Internal Quality Control (IQC) checks, and mandatory validation via External Quality Assessment (EQA).

These programs ensure that every test result is accurate, reproducible, reliable, and comparable with global benchmarks, reinforcing reliability and building public trust in every report issued by the laboratory.

Addressing the 2025 Quality Week theme, “Quality: Think differently,” EL-LAB’s leadership urged healthcare professionals to challenge traditional quality approaches.

“We believe thinking differently about quality begins with one powerful shift: seeing quality not as an act, but as an attitude”. “Quality is what we do when no one is watching and it shows in how we treat our patients, our colleagues, and our work. The ISO 15189:2022 accreditation is a reminder that quality is not a destination, but a journey of continuous improvement.”

EL-LAB invites all partners, colleagues, and stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem to join them in thinking differently, noting that the future of diagnostic excellence depends on embracing change today.

About EL-LAB Medical Diagnostics and Research Centre

Established in 1998, EL-LAB Medical Diagnostics and Research Centre is a leading ISO-certified medical laboratory providing advanced, reliable, and comprehensive diagnostic services across Nigeria. Dedicated to clinical excellence and patient safety, EL-LAB leverages state-of-the-art technology and a highly competent workforce to deliver results that form the trusted foundation of patient care.

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Virginia Representative Gerry Connolly Passes at 75 After Cancer Battle

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Gerry Connolly Passes at 75

Virginia Representative Gerry Connolly Passes at 75 After Cancer Battle—-Representative Gerry Connolly, a fiery Virginia Democrat with decades of experience on Capitol Hill, died Wednesday morning after a short stint with cancer, his family announced.

Connolly, 75, was a familiar figure around the halls of the Capitol, where he was known as a feisty advocate for the institutions of Washington — particularly following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol — and a champion of the many federal workers hailing from his Northern Virginia district.

First elected in 2008, Connolly rose this year to become the senior Democrat on the power House Oversight and Government Reform Committee — a seat he had sought unsuccessfully twice before.

His ascension was not without controversy. Connolly announced shortly after November’s elections that he was being treated for esophageal cancer, and a challenge for the ranking member seat from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) had rekindled the long-running generational debate over the role of seniority within the House Democratic Caucus.

Still, Connolly was a popular figure within the caucus, and he prevailed easily.

On Tuesday, Connolly joined forces with Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), the chair of the Oversight Committee, to sponsor what would be his final piece of legislation: the Esophageal Cancer Awareness Act.

In a statement, Connolly’s family remembered him as a devoted family man and dedicated public servant, one who had served Northern Virginia for decades in both county and national politics.

“Gerry lived his life to give back to others and make our community better,” they wrote in a statement. “He looked out for the disadvantaged and voiceless. He always stood up for what is right and just.”

While pointing to Connolly’s accomplishments in elected office, the family said his greater contribution was to the local community, where he leaves behind a host of local projects that will serve as his legacy.

“[M]ore important than his accomplishments in elected office, Gerry lived by the ethos of ‘bloom where you are planted,’” they said. “From the Silver Line to the Oakton Library, Mosaic District to the Cross County Trail and beyond, his legacy now colors our region.”

Connolly’s illness had caused him to step back from his daily responsibilities on the Oversight Committee last month, when he tapped Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), another senior member of the panel, to take the seat as interim ranking member — a temporary position requiring no elections.

With Connolly’s death, Democratic leaders will now start the process of seating a permanent replacement, which is likely to be fiercely contested and could pit senior members against a newer crop of up-and-coming Democrats clamoring to rise quickly in the ranks.

Lynch, 70, is among the most experienced Democrats on the panel, but several younger members — including Reps. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) and Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) — have expressed interest in the seat.

Ocasio-Cortez, for her part, has said she won’t seek the seat.

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