Gennady Onishchenko: Russia will build Virus Laboratories in Neighboring Countries

100 million rubles was allocated to Russia to create virus laboratories in neighboring countries, which will predict the arrival of a virus on the territory of Russia. Gennady Onishchenko, the Chief Sanitary Inspector of Russia told reporters.

100 million rubles was allocated to Russia to create virus laboratories in neighboring countries, which will predict the arrival of a virus on the territory of Russia. Gennady Onishchenko, the Chief Sanitary Inspector of Russia told reporters.

"The initiative is purely based on pragmatic interests of Russia. If we know what kind of diseases are circulating by the neighbors, we will be able to predict a disease which can possibly penetrate into our territory and give us the ability to control infections of bacterial and viral nature, which may be brought to us from neighboring countries. A recent example - polio, imported to us from Tajikistan this summer", - he said.

Russia has already allocated 400 million rubles for technical assistance in equipping the laboratories of sanitary-epidemiological services in Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and other countries. On the funds equipment was purchased and a number of doctors were able to pass good training and qualification courses. At the moment the number of laboratories amounts to more than 30 and it is planed to open 40 more.