WHO hands over laboratory equipment to boost national diagnostic capacity

Kathmandu, Bagmati province – On 7 April, WHO Country Office for Nepal handed over 25 sets of laboratory equipment to the Department of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), as part of efforts to strengthen effective and quality laboratory diagnostic services at the local level. Each set comprises binocular microscopes, autoanalysers, centrifuges, haemocytometers, autoclaves, incubators and hot air ovens. These will be distributed to prioritized 25 health care facility laboratories nationwide identified by the MoHP. Aligned with Nepal’s National Essential In Vitro Diagnostic List (NEIDL) the activity is expected to improve access to basic diagnostic services for the service recipients. The initiative aligns with the WHO Essential Diagnostics List, which underpins Nepal’s NEIDL and defines the range of diagnostic tests required at each level of the health system. Supported by The Pandemic Fund, this effort contributes to strengthening the country’s laboratory diagnostic systems for early detection and response of public health emergencies at the local level, and advancing equitable access to essential health services.