LIBERIA – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with Liberia’s Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) has inaugurated the a refurbished and equipped Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL) at the University of Liberia’s Fendell Campus.
The facility was funded by USAID, through FAO’s Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) program, an Observer report reveals.
Equipped with modern diagnostic equipment, diagnostic kits for priority zoonotic diseases, reagents and consumables, the laboratory has the capacity to diagnose zoonotic diseases, and other Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs).
It utilizes bacteriological techniques, Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISAs), Fluorescent Microscopy and Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR).
“I am pleased that Liberia is making progress relating to the one health platform that aims at responding to the threat of transboundary animal health cases, which we spent a lot of money to treat people for at health facilities, because we do not have the equipment to diagnose the cases.
The inauguration of this facility is an important milestone,” said Agriculture Minister, Dr. Mogana Flomo.
The facility comes to address the need to reduce the case load of diseases at various health centers since it can be done through the ‘one health platform approach.’
Liberians will be trained to combat animal-related diseases with an overall goal of improving the country’s animal health sector.
The project also supports the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) to address Zoonotic Diseases and Animal Health in Africa.
“Through this project, FAO is supporting the Liberian government to address critical capacity gaps identified by the World Organization for Animal Health tool for the Performance of Veterinary Services, and the WHO Joint External Evaluation in Liberia,” said FAO Country Representative, Mariatou Njie.
GHSA is aimed at addressing global vulnerability to infectious disease threats of public health concerns, strengthen systems, and ensure that a trained workforce has the skills and tools to prevent, detect and respond rapidly and effectively to infectious disease threats.
In support of the initiative, FAO has donated two vehicles to the CVL and the MoA epidemiology unit to facilitate their works.
