The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has described a USAID funded Global Health Security (GHS) project as crucial in providing technical support towards the improvement of livestock laboratory services in Malawi.
The FAO is implementing the project in collaboration with the Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development with a view of building capacity.
Regional Laboratory Specialist for FAO, Joshua Kimutai, told MBC that his team has done an assessment to understand the laboratory scope in the country and how to fill the gaps in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture.
“We are using FAO laboratory mapping assessment tool to understand the key operational and capacity issues affecting laboratory work in Malawi. Together with the Livestock Department management and technical officers, we have been able to collect important data to make informed decisions and provide accurate information to the department,” he added.
Currently, the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL) in Lilongwe and the regional laboratory for the southern region in Blantyre are the first beneficiaries of the project.
Commenting on the development, Global Health Security Project Coordinator Dr Marvin Phonera says the initiative is a milestone in as far as livestock management and development is concerned in Malawi.
Malawi is a new member of the Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), under which the five-year USAID GHS programme is being implemented.
