By Auwal Ahmad Umar

Gombe State has strengthened its disease surveillance and diagnostic capacity after the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory of the Gombe State Specialist Hospital secured accreditation from the World Health Organisation (WHO) for measles and rubella testing.

The accreditation has formally brought the facility into the WHO Global Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network, positioning Gombe among a select group of health facilities in Nigeria with internationally recognised capacity to confirm suspected cases of the two vaccine-preventable diseases.

The development represents a major boost to Gombe State’s healthcare system, particularly in the areas of disease surveillance, laboratory diagnosis and emergency response.

The Chief Medical Director of the Gombe State Specialist Hospital, Dr Dawa Sambo, described the achievement as a significant milestone, attributing it to sustained investment by the administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya in healthcare infrastructure, diagnostic services and human capacity.

Dr Sambo said the accreditation would reduce the state’s dependence on distant reference laboratories for confirmation of suspected measles and rubella cases.

He explained that medical laboratory scientists in Gombe can now conduct the required diagnostic tests locally, reducing the time between sample collection and confirmation.

“Faster laboratory confirmation is critical to effective disease surveillance because it enables health authorities to respond more quickly when suspected cases are detected,” Dr Sambo said.

He added that the shorter turnaround time would strengthen the ability of surveillance teams to investigate suspected cases promptly and introduce appropriate containment and vaccination measures, particularly during outbreaks.

To obtain the accreditation, the laboratory underwent a rigorous assessment against WHO quality and technical requirements.

The assessment covered areas including sample collection and handling, biosafety, testing procedures, data management, quality assurance and proficiency testing.

The facility was also required to demonstrate consistent performance through External Quality Assessment and proficiency panel testing, as well as competence in the use of Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for the serological detection of measles and rubella infections.

The accreditation is particularly significant for the North-East, where suspected samples have historically had to be transported over considerable distances to designated reference laboratories for confirmation.

Such logistical challenges could delay the confirmation of suspected infections and slow the deployment of appropriate public health interventions.

With the Gombe laboratory now accredited, health authorities have access to additional diagnostic capacity closer to affected communities, potentially enabling faster investigations and responses to suspected outbreaks.

The development also strengthens Gombe’s contribution to Nigeria’s participation in the global measles and rubella surveillance system.

The state is now among only eight locations in Nigeria with WHO-accredited capacity for measles and rubella laboratory testing.

Beyond the international recognition, the accreditation is expected to deliver practical benefits to public health, including faster diagnosis, stronger disease surveillance, quicker outbreak response and improved protection of children and communities.

For the Gombe State Specialist Hospital, the recognition is also an endorsement of the quality of its laboratory services and the technical competence of its personnel.

The achievement further demonstrates the importance of sustained investment in healthcare infrastructure, skilled personnel and quality assurance in building a health system capable of meeting international standards.

For Gombe, the WHO accreditation represents more than a laboratory achievement; it provides the state with stronger tools to detect vaccine-preventable diseases early and respond to public health threats more effectively.