Defence Reference Laboratory

The Defence Reference Laboratory is a state-of-the-art NMOD/USAMRD laboratory. It is a multi-purpose laboratory for PEPFAR-supported research and diagnostics and serves also as a reference laboratory for USAMRD/NMOD sites and Nigerian military hospital laboratories which send samples for HIV Viral Load, emerging infectious diseases, and other PEPFAR supported laboratory investigations. The laboratory consists of eight departments; molecular, safety, serology, sample processing, microbiology, malaria, and a repository that manages samples from all over the country and beyond. The facility coordinates and oversee the program’s Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) activities, specialized Laboratory Service provision, Training and Research; including HIV research modeled on the US Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) to develop a platform for HIV vaccine development. The DRL is staffed with Henry Jackson Foundation (HJF) and NMOD uniformed military and civilian personnel.

Some of the roles of the Lab since inception are as follows:

• Provide specialized diagnostic services to patients and referring health facilities.
• Quality control of lab results generated from military medical facilities.
• Design, implement and coordinate EQA programme for military health facilities.
• Support clinical research and infectious disease surveillance.
• Provide technical support and assistance during military recruitment and pre/post-induction exercises.
• Provide appropriate training for MOD lab personnel in current and emerging diagnostic technology.
• Assist in the determination of national laboratory reference ranges.
• Collaborate with relevant agencies in the evaluation and validation of laboratory diagnostic devices.

Liquid Nitrogen Generating Plant in the Laboratory

Cobas 8800 RT-PCR Diagnostic Equipment

Common Blood Collection Tubes

Multi-head-Microscope-500×500

Olympus Binocular-Microscope-500×500-500×500 (1)

Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast Real Time PCR system