As part of its 2019-2021 Work plan, the European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD) supports the REMESA action plan and the countries of North Africa, in particular to strengthen skills and capacities in laboratory diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease and other similar transboundary diseases (FAST).

As such, the study carried out in 2019 in collaboration with the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) and relating to the mapping of the capacities of national laboratories in terms of diagnosis and of research applied to FAST in the countries of the MENA region (North Africa and the Middle East) made it possible to define the needs and priorities in terms of training to strengthen their capacities. The results and recommendations of this study were discussed for the countries of North Africa (Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia) during the REPIVET-RELABSA regional workshop organized by EuFMD in Marrakech from 10 - 12 February 2020.

In this sense, in close collaboration with ANSES and in coordination with the REMESA secretariat in North Africa (sub-regional offices of FAO and OIE), EuFMD is organizing a workshop from January 12 to February 4, 2021. Virtual training session under the theme "Improving the diagnostic capacity of FAST diseases of laboratories in North Africa".