The Chief Medical Director of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Prof. Idia Nibokun Ize-Iyamu, on Tuesday received a delegation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) during a courtesy visit to the hospital.
The visit formed part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s Acute Febrile Illness (AFI) surveillance programme, with the team providing hands-on training for UBTH laboratory personnel on the use of innovative Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs).
Speaking during the visit, Dr. Nnenna Ananaba, who led the CDC team, noted that UBTH is one of only six sentinel surveillance sites in the country and serves as the designated centre for the South-South region. She commended the hospital’s consistent collaboration with the AFI programme and highlighted its critical role in identifying the recent dengue fever outbreak in Benin City.
Dr. Ananaba praised UBTH for its swift response during the outbreak, explaining that the hospital’s ability to process samples from across Edo State was evidence of the strengthened capacity gained from the surveillance initiative. She added that the newly introduced RDTs offer a faster, simpler, and more cost-effective alternative to the current PCR-based diagnostic method.
In her remarks, Prof. Ize-Iyamu expressed appreciation to the CDC and RTI team for choosing UBTH for the training and for supporting the programme at no cost to the hospital. She reaffirmed UBTH’s commitment to sustaining and expanding AFI surveillance efforts, assuring the delegation of the hospital’s continued institutional support.
