Strengthening Laboratory Capacities for the Detection of Priority Transboundary Animal Diseases in Africa

Sebeta, Ethiopia – July 7 to 11, 2025 – Twenty-three laboratory experts from nine African Union Member States (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Niger, and Tanzania) were trained in advanced molecular and serological diagnostic techniques for priority Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs). The five-day workshop, organised by the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), in collaboration with the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) and the Ethiopian Animal Health Institute (EAHI), was funded under the EU Support to the Eradication of PPR from Africa programme.

This training marks a significant step in strengthening Africa’s diagnostic capacity to detect and control diseases such as Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Rift Valley Fever (RVF), and Brucellosis. These diseases remain a major constraint to livestock productivity and trade across the continent. In Eastern Africa, for example, PPR affects up to 60% of small ruminants, threatening livelihoods, food security, and economic resilience. Establishing robust diagnostic systems is therefore critical to protecting AU Member States already recognised as PPR-free by WOAH and to advancing the goal of a PPR-free Africa by 2030.

Opening the event, H.E. Dr. Fikru Regassa, State Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Sector Development in Ethiopia, stressed the urgent need for collective action to overcome the burden of animal diseases that limit the potential of Africa’s vast livestock resources. He underlined that only through regional cooperation and strengthened veterinary laboratory systems can Africa secure food security and safeguard rural livelihoods.

Throughout the workshop, participants received intensive training in molecular diagnostics (real-time and conventional PCR) and serological methods (ELISA for PPR, FMD, RVF, and Brucellosis; CFT as a confirmatory test for Brucellosis). The sessions also included biosafety protocols, cross-laboratory exercises, and harmonisation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in line with WOAH standards.

Key technical partners reinforced the call for collaboration: Dr. Tesfaye Rufael (EAHI) urged national laboratories to work closely with regional centres of excellence, while Dr. Mahmoud Hanatleh (AOAD) highlighted the need for mobilising resources and sharing expertise. Dr. Wubishet Zewdie (AU-IBAR) encouraged participants to act as ambassadors of surveillance in their countries, ensuring early detection and rapid response to TADs.

The training concluded with strong recommendations: to continue specialised laboratory training, ensure availability of test kits and reagents, establish regional platforms for genetic sequencing, and strengthen cross-border cooperation for rapid alerts and coordinated responses. Dr. Getnet Abie, Deputy Director of EAHI, noted, “This training is not just a capacity-building exercise; it is an investment in Africa’s veterinary services and in the future we want for the continent.”

By equipping frontline veterinary laboratories with advanced diagnostic skills, this initiative directly contributes to the African Union’s vision of safe, sustainable livestock trade and to the ambitious goal of eradicating PPR from Africa by 2030.