Strengthening the capacity of veterinary diagnostic laboratory staff through training on the  safe transport of infectious substances focus on Peste des Petits Ruminants and other priority animal diseases for English Speaking Countries 

 

 23/02/2026 

 News Release

Accra– Building on the momentum of its regional capacity-building initiatives, the Pan African Veterinary Vaccine Centre (AU-PANVAC) successfully convened a targeted training workshop for veterinary laboratories from English-speaking African countries from 17–19 February 2026 in Accra, Ghana similar to the one conducted for francophone countries in December 2025, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, reflecting AU-PANVAC’s commitment to ensuring inclusive regional coverage and harmonized capacity development across the continent. 

Hosted at the Oak Plaza Hotel-Suites, the three-day workshop focused on strengthening the safe transport of infectious substances. The training brought together veterinary laboratory professionals from 10 anglophone Countries, providing a focused platform to harmonize procedures, exchange experiences, and reinforce adherence to international shipping standards. 

The workshop aimed to enhance participants’ technical and regulatory competencies in the classification, packaging, marking, labeling, documentation, and transport of infectious substances in accordance with the International Air Transport Association Dangerous Goods Regulations (IATA DGR). Through practical sessions and expert-led discussions, participants deepened their understanding of risk assessment, proper packaging systems, and regulatory responsibilities to ensure the safe movement of biological materials. 

Through a structured and practice-oriented programme, participants deepened their understanding of biological risk management and the full shipment chain from classification and identification to proper packaging, marking, labelling, and completion of required documentation. At the end of the three-days intensive training, participants undertook a written exam to assess their understanding of the International Air Transport Association Dangerous Goods Regulations. All 22 participants from 10 countries successfully passed the exam and were duly certified as shippers of infectious substances in accordance with IATA requirements. This achievement marks a significant step forward in strengthening the operational readiness of African countries to manage infectious sample transportation safely, securely, and in full compliance with international standards. It further reflects the continued commitment of the AU-PANVAC to enhancing laboratory biosafety, biosecurity, and regulatory capacity across African Union Member States and beyond 

                      

Group photo of participants and facilitators following the successful completion of the AU-PANVAC training workshop on the safe transport of infectious substances 
 

                                                                                                  

Introduction

The AU-PANVAC held a retreat from 18-19 December 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya. This gathering served as a platform for staff to reflect on the achievements and challenges encountered in the year 2023 and to strategize for the upcoming year, 2024. The retreat aimed to foster collaborative and teamwork, exchange ideas, and develop a comprehensive plan to further advance the goals of AU-PANVAC. In addition, AU-PANVAC staff took an opportunity to warmly congratulate

Dr. Charles BODJO for his appointment as Acting Director of AU-PANVAC and promised him full support as he takes lead of the center.

Achievements in 2023:

The retreat provided an opportunity to celebrate the notable achievements of AU-PANVAC in the year 2023. These accomplishments can be attributed to the collective efforts of each and every staff member, partners, and stakeholders. Some key achievements include:

  1. Quality control of vaccines, production and distribution of biological reagents for animal disease control and surveillance in Africa. AU-PANVAC made significant progress in availing quality certified vaccines and supply of essential biologicals to vaccine manufacturing facilities as well as provision of diagnostic kits and reagents to National veterinary laboratories for diseases surveillance in Africa. New diagnostic assays are under validation. This achievement has contributed to improved animal health, increased food security, and enhanced livelihoods.
  2. Technical Support and Capacity Building: AU-PANVAC provided training and knowledge-sharing initiatives focused on vaccine production and quality control to veterinary laboratory Scientists from AU member states. Six master’s students from Pan African University and 18 laboratory personnel from AUMS were received. By equipping professionals with the necessary skills and knowledge, AU-PANVAC has enhanced the continent’s ability to respond effectively to disease outbreaks and other veterinary challenges.
  3. Collaborative Partnerships: AU-PANVAC fostered partnerships with regional and international organizations, and academia. These collaborations have facilitated knowledge exchange, resource mobilization, and the sharing of best practices, ultimately strengthening the overall veterinary vaccines industry in Africa. To enhance its delivery, AU-PANVAC with the support of the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) finalized the design of a World-Class Laboratory in accordance with best practices in biosafety and biosecurity. The construction of the New Laboratory Complex with the total cost of 56 million USD will be fully supported by US-DTRA. The contractor is already selected and the construction will start early 2024.

Challenges Faced in 2023:

The retreat also provided a platform to acknowledge and address the challenges encountered by AU-PANVAC in the year 2023. By identifying these challenges, the staff   developed strategies to overcome them in the future. Some notable challenge includes:

Funding and shortage of staff Constraints:  Adequate and sustained funding remains a challenge for AU-PANVAC as well as limited number of staff hinder the center’s ability to scale up its operations and impacts its service delivery time.

Planning for 2024:

The retreat served as a crucial platform for planning and setting priorities for the year 2024. staff engaged in strategic discussions and formulated a roadmap to guide AU-PANVAC’s activities. The key focus areas for the upcoming year include:

  1. Quality control Service and Research Development: AU-PANVAC aims to intensify its Quality Control Service of vaccines and increase its research in improving vaccines and diagnostic tools. This will involve reducing the service delivery time, improving effective communication with all partners and leveraging emerging technologies to improve quality control services and diagnostic development.
  2. Advocacy and Resource Mobilization: AU-PANVAC will intensify its advocacy efforts to raise awareness about the importance of veterinary vaccines and diagnostics tools in livestock development and secure increased funding from AUC, donors, and other stakeholders. This will enable the center to expand its operations.
  3. Infrastructure development: AU-PANVAC sets groundbreaking ceremony in February 2024 to launch the construction of the new facility complex funded in collaboration with US-DTRA.

Conclusion:

The AU-PANVAC retreat held in Nairobi in December 2023 provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on the achievements and challenges of the year and plan for the future. The center’s accomplishments in vaccine quality control, reagents production and distribution, capacity building, and collaborative partnerships were acknowledged. A strategic roadmap for 2024 was put in place to improve effective communication and service delivery time. The Acting Director

Dr. Charles BODJO thanked the staff for their active engagements in the discussions and concluded the retreat by wishing them happy end of year festivals.