Elevating Standards with the Regional Quality Assurance Workshop for West and Central Africa

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through its Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) program, on Monday, September 16, 2024, kick started the Regional Annual Quality Assurance Roadmap Training Workshop for West and Central Africa at the RLJ Hotel and Resort in Monrovia. The five days' workshop runs from 16 to 20 September 2024.

The workshop highlights the commitment of FAO and its partners—including the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources of the African Union (AU-IBAR)—to enhance the quality assurance (QA) systems in veterinary diagnostic laboratories. Such QA systems are crucial for ensuring the reliability of laboratory results and meeting international standards and obligations.

FAO ECTAD has been at the forefront of this initiative since 2009, in collaboration with USAID, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS), France Vétérinaire International (FVI), and the University of Georgia. These efforts, including those under the USAID IDENTIFY programme and the FAO Global Health Security (GHSA) programme, have led to the successful accreditation of national laboratories in Cameroon, Nigeria, and Senegal.

This event is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and will bring together key stakeholders in veterinary diagnostics from 13 West and Central African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone) across the region.

At the official opening ceremony, FAO Representative a.i. in Liberia, Madam Bintia Stephen Tchicaya, stated that the primary goal of these projects and programs in Africa is to help African countries establish sustainable animal health systems and enhance One Health capabilities. This is intended to reduce the risks and threats posed by emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases, endemic zoonotic diseases, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). She expressed her gratitude to the American people for their tremendous support and the government of Liberia for the trust imposed in FAO. National authorities were represented by the Deputy Minister, Department of Regional Development, Research and Extension at the Ministry of Agriculture, Hon. Moses R. Gbanyan who added that the importance of the subject matter of this workshop cannot be overemphasized. The Quality Management systemin Veterinary laboratories helps to implement good professional practices to guarantee the quality of test results. This, in turn, increases customer and partner confidence and satisfaction in the quality of services rendered. This is achieved through a structured mechanism for identifying potential sources of errors, implementing preventive measures, and continuously monitoring and validating analytical processes. He further thank FAO for valuable technical partner and expressed his appreciation USAID for their continue support to the Liberian people.

In his remarks the USAID – GHS Advisor Dr Armando Cotrina acknowledged the tremendous progress achieved in Liberia in advancing the different GHS Action Packages particularly in the laboratory system. He particularly noted the 100% scored by the central Veterinary laboratory of Liberia in the proficiency testing for Brucellosis, Rabies and Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), and the certification of the quality manager of the CVL as per the joint FAO-IATA Infectious substance shipment training (ISST) as well as the general advancement in the quality management system at the CVL.

 This year's workshop aims to further strengthen QA capacities across the West and Central Africa region by mapping and evaluating progress in implementing the Quality Management System (QMS) in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standards.

The workshop will spotlight progress on QA roadmaps, appoint regional focal points, and refine their roles. It will guide the creation of national QA standards, build capacity among ECTAD experts and national teams, and boost regional networking. Additionally, participants will receive training in internal auditing.

The Regional Annual Quality Assurance Roadmap Training Workshop represents a crucial step in fortifying the quality management systems of veterinary diagnostic laboratories in West and Central Africa. By fostering collaboration and providing targeted training, FAO and its partners are committed to enhancing the reliability and effectiveness of laboratory diagnostics in the region.