Guinea-Bissau has received laboratory equipment worth more than €1.5 million to strengthen its ability to detect and confirm diseases and respond to public health threats.
The equipment, valued at €1,511,499.77, was handed over to the Government of Guinea-Bissau by the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) on 19 August 2026.
The support is for the country’s National Public Health Laboratory (LNSP), where the official handover ceremony took place.
WAHO Director General Dr Melchior Athanase Joël C. Aïssi handed over the equipment to Guinea-Bissau’s Minister of Public Health, Commodore Dr Quinhin Nantote.
The ceremony was witnessed by ECOWAS Resident Representative in Guinea-Bissau Ambassador Ngozi Ukaeje.
Also present were WAHO Focal Point in Guinea-Bissau Dr Plácido Cardoso and the Director General of the National Public Health Laboratory, Dr Baltazar Cá.
What the €1.5m investment brings
The equipment includes PCR and immunological testing machines, general laboratory equipment, laboratory products and materials, as well as reagents and consumables.
WAHO says the new resources will strengthen the technical and operational capacity of the National Public Health Laboratory.
They will support the laboratory’s work in detecting diseases and confirming them through laboratory testing.
The equipment is also expected to strengthen epidemiological surveillance and Guinea-Bissau’s ability to respond to public health threats and emergencies.
The handover is being carried out under the second phase of the Strengthening of Epidemiological Services and Health Systems in the ECOWAS Region (PROALAB) project.
The project is funded by Germany through KfW Entwicklungsbank.
Its first component focuses on strengthening regional surveillance systems and laboratories through procurement for reference laboratories in five ECOWAS countries.
They are Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal and The Gambia.
The support to Guinea-Bissau is therefore part of a wider effort to improve laboratory and surveillance capacity across the region.
Focus on sustainable capacity
WAHO says the investment is intended to provide lasting support to Guinea-Bissau’s national diagnostic and laboratory surveillance capacity.
With the additional equipment, the National Public Health Laboratory is expected to have improved resources to carry out disease detection and laboratory confirmation and to support responses to public health emergencies.
The investment also forms part of WAHO’s wider effort to strengthen laboratory systems and epidemiological surveillance in ECOWAS member states.
For Guinea-Bissau, the immediate task is to put the new equipment and materials to use in strengthening the country’s ability to detect diseases and respond to public health threats.
