Organisation Proffers Solution to Wrong Diagnosis in Nigeria

Rebecca Ejifoma
With a commitment to provide affordable diagnostics solutions to both clinical and industry practitioners especially adaptable to the Nigerian environment, BioMerieux officially launched its presence in the country with testing solution for infectious diseases like meningitis, among others.

The launch featured microbiology systems, molecular biology using next generation syndromic testing solution from BioFire, and the VIDAS automated immunoassay platform famous for its reliability, robustness, and ease of operation.

According to the organisation, the system has the capacity to run up to 80 different parameters for infectious diseases, fertility, cancer and other biomarkers.
BioMérieux Area Business Manager for English West Africa, Dr. Charles Sokei, stated that many Nigerians have suffered treatment failures primarily due to lack of access to proper and accurate diagnosis.

“Our platforms are here to help reduce cases of wrong diagnosis, thereby avoiding preventable deaths,” he said.
According to him, “with Immunoassay, Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostic Solutions from Biomérieux, Nigerian healthcare professionals have a chance to join their global counterparts in providing improved clinical diagnosis to their patients using systems which are designed according to international standards.

The Chairman, DCL Group, local partners to BioMérieux in Nigeria, Charles Okechukwu Anyanwu, said that a strong collaboration with BioMérieux was aligned with DCL’s vision of providing advanced technology and affordable solutions for diagnosis in Nigeria.

“I am confident that this strategic collaboration equips us better than ever before in assisting with disease diagnosis and will catalyse DCL’s role in reducing healthcare burden in the country.”

Adding, he said that the BioMérieux diagnostics platforms use ground-breaking, state-of-the-art technology with innovative software which are very reliable and also easy to operate.
In his presentation, the Vice President for the Africa Cluster, Mr. Sinde Chekete, told health practitioners that BioMérieux was really excited to bring its unique clinical and industry diagnostics solutions to Nigeria.

“Our vision is to improve public health and consumer safety with our unique solutions and our collaboration with DCL provides us with an established and experienced partner. Together, we can better serve the Nigeria healthcare market.”

He added that the company would achieve partnership with the government through their distributors to ensure “We make best use of our equipment especially in the government sector,” he said.

As a global leader in in-vitro diagnostics for more than 50 years, BioMérieux assured Nigerians that its aim is to fight infectious disease, ensure it can reach the world and learn something from these diseases from Africa that can be useful to the rest of the world.

Meanwhile, the health company pointed out that it had always been driven by a pioneering spirit and unrelenting commitment to improve public health worldwide.
With presence in more than 150 countries through 43 subsidiaries and a large network of distributors, BioMérieux provides diagnostic solutions that improve patient health and ensure consumer safety.