State-of-the-art centralized newborn screening laboratory expands
nationwide access to neonatal screening and improves screening times for
a common congenital condition
TURKU, Finland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
PerkinElmer,
Inc., a global leader focused on improving the health and safety of
people and the environment, today announced the opening of the world's
largest centralized laboratory for newborn screening, in support of The
Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP).
PerkinElmer, together with its distribution partner HVD
Vertriebs GMBH, built the Cairo-based laboratory in collaboration
with the MOHP.
The new laboratory will be the world's largest in terms of the number of
newborn patient samples processed by a single facility, as part of an
improved national newborn health screening program for congenital
hypothyroidism, a serious condition which affects up to one in 1,400
babies born in the Middle East1. The newborn screening will
be offered free of charge to all Egyptian families, and is targeted to
reach approximately 96 percent of babies born in the country.
"Egypt's population is growing faster than any other country in the
Middle East, and its government has made a successful long-term
investment over the last decade, to improve neonatal health," said Hanna
Halme, vice president, Diagnostics, PerkinElmer. "This anticipatory
approach sets a new standard for the way countries manage newborn care."
Halme added, "The significant upgrade of Egypt's national screening
system will provide critical early insights into the health of newborns
with advanced testing and ultimately, opportunities for earlier
intervention when necessary. Test results will also be stored in a
central database, providing Egyptian healthcare professionals with
timely information and improved population health insights."
The screening service analyzes blood samples collected from newborns via
a quick heel-prick test at more than 4,000 Primary Health Care (PHC)
facilities located throughout the 29 Egyptian governorates. The MOHP
started the national neonatal screening program for congenital
hypothyroidism more than 10 years ago. The great success of this program
is the result of a committed collaboration between the PHC sector and
the Central Laboratory and Health Insurance Sectors of the MOHP.
Until now, testing was performed at 14 separate laboratories,
geographically dispersed throughout Egypt.
Congenital hypothyroidism is a thyroid-specific hormone deficiency that
is detectible at birth, with some of the highest incidence rates
reported in the Middle East1. The condition should be
detected and treated within one to two weeks of life. Early intervention
is critical. If left untreated, congenital hypothyroidism can lead to
growth failure and mental retardation. Treatment consists of an oral
thyroid medication, with the dose and hormone levels monitored and
adjusted as the child grows.
PerkinElmer's distribution partner, HVD
Vertriebs GMBH, and its subsidiary in Egypt recently equipped the
new central laboratory with PerkinElmer's
Genetic Screening Processor® (GSP®) and Specimen
Gate® Informatics, the most sophisticated neonatal screening tools
available. In addition to training and installation, the project
included renovation and modernization of the laboratory facilities
and updating the information technology system.
About PerkinElmer, Inc.
PerkinElmer, Inc. is a global leader focused on improving the health and
safety of people and the environment. The Company reported revenue of
approximately $1.7 billion in 2010, has about 6,200 employees serving
customers in more than 150 countries, and is a component of the S&P 500
Index. Additional information is available through 1-877-PKI-NYSE, or at www.perkinelmer.com.
1 Sack J, Feldman I, Kaiserman I. Congenital hypothyroidism
screening in the West Bank: a test case for screening in developing
regions. Horm Res. Sep 1998;50(3):151-4. [Medline].
Edelman (for PerkinElmer)
Amanda L. Connolly, 404-832-6785
amanda.connolly@edelman.com
Source: PerkinElmer, Inc.
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