GOVERNMENT with her cooperating partner the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is capacity building veterinary experts to man regional laboratories that have been constructed around the country to provide diagnostic skills of livestock diseases.
Director of Veterinary Services in the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Dr. Swithine Kabilika was speaking when he officially opened a five-day national workshop to develop and strengthen diagnostic skills of regional diagnostic laboratories in Choma.
Dr. Kabilika said the seven regional diagnostic laboratories have been constructed in Mongu, Kasama, Chipata, Choma, Isoka and Ndola to ensure disease control and human protection.
He commended FAO and Government for constructing regional diagnostic laboratories to help in fighting livestock diseases.
Meanwhile, National Project Coordinator under the FAO Foot and Mouth Disease Frank Banda expressed gratitude with the technical and financial support from the United Nations agency.
Mr. Banda said the staff undergoing training at the Choma Laboratory are being equipped with diagnostic skills on analysis of samples of African Swine Fever, East Coast Fever, and the Foot and Mouth disease among others.
And Chief Veterinary Research Officer at the Central Veterinary Research Institute Dr. Frederick Banda said veterinary experts will conduct diagnostic skills locally within the province as his institute will just be a referral laboratory.
Dr. Banda noted that following the decentralisation of animal diseases diagnostic services staff have been capacity built with skills to carry out the functions at local level. The workshop drew participants from Northern, Western, Southern, Copperbelt, Central, and the Central Veterinary Research Institute.
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