Addis Ababa – The African Union Commission (AUC) Chair, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has officiated the groundbreaking ceremony for a new state-of-the-art laboratory complex in Bishoftu, Ethiopia, at the AU’s Pan Veterinary Vaccine Centre (AU-PANVAC). The event marks the commencement of a project that is set to construct the laboratory with a budget of 56 million USD over three years, covering an area of 3.9 hectares.
According to Ethiopian News Agency,this endeavor is supported by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (US-DTRA) and aims to establish a facility that adheres to the highest international standards of biosafety and biosecurity. The complex will enhance the AU-PANVAC’s capabilities to fulfill its mandate more effectively. The ceremony was attended by notable figures including the African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, Ambassador Josefa L. Sako, Ethiopia’s Minister of Agriculture, Girma Amenti, and the Director of the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (US-DTRA), Robert S. Pope.
Moussa Faki Mahamat highlighted the significance of this project in strengthening AU-America cooperation and enhancing Africa’s capacity to prevent and control animal diseases through technology transfer and excellence. Ethiopia’s Minister of Agriculture, Girma Amenti, emphasized the government’s focus on livestock sector development under the ‘Bounty of the Basket’ initiative, and announced Ethiopia’s progress in vaccine production and exportation. Robert S. Pope of US-DTRA affirmed the agency’s commitment to providing capacity building trainings for disease prevention and eradication.
The AU-PANVAC, established in 2004, serves as a key institution in combating animal and zoonotic diseases across Africa, marking its 20th operational anniversary this year.