FAO Provides Vehicles and Laboratory Reagents to Ghana’s Agriculture Ministry

Accra: The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has officially handed over a fleet of vehicles, laboratory reagents, and consumables to Ghana's Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA). This initiative marks the first batch of logistics provided under the World Bank's Pandemic Fund Programme, aimed at enhancing veterinary surveillance and early warning systems. According to Ghana News Agency, this support is part of the broader Strengthening Systems for Pandemic Preparedness and Response project in Ghana. The project seeks to bolster the country's ability to prevent, detect, and respond to animal and zoonotic disease outbreaks via the One Health approach. Madam Priya Gujadhur, the FAO Representative and Senior Regional Resilience Officer, emphasized the program's focus on empowering the veterinary workforce, laboratory systems, and disease surveillance to improve Ghana's pandemic preparedness. Ghana is set to benefit from over $16 million under the World Bank-hosted Pandemic Fund, with the FAO and the Wor ld Health Organisation jointly implementing the program. The project plans to deliver 24 four-wheel-drive vehicles, 216 motorcycles, nearly 300 IT devices, laboratory supplies, personal protective equipment, and rehabilitate six veterinary laboratories nationwide. The first phase includes Toyota Hilux pickups, motorcycles, laptops, and field sampling materials, with 175 veterinary personnel and wildlife officers already trained in real-time disease surveillance, reporting, and diagnosis. Madam Gujadhur highlighted the ongoing threat of diseases such as avian influenza, pests des petits ruminants, foot-and-mouth disease, and African swine fever to Ghana's livestock sector, which contributes about 15% to agricultural GDP and supports the livelihoods of over 60% of rural households. She reaffirmed FAO's commitment to collaborating with the Veterinary Services Directorate to enhance surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, rapid response, and workforce development. Mr. Eric Opoku, the Minister of Agriculture, acknow ledged that the support complements the FAO Event Mobile Application Plus launched last year, improving disease surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, and rapid response while protecting public health, food security, and farmers' livelihoods. He emphasized the importance of strong veterinary surveillance and laboratory systems for pandemic prevention and preparedness, assuring partners of proper maintenance and deployment of the resources. The Minister urged veterinary officers to use the resources effectively to safeguard livestock and enhance Ghana's resilience against future disease outbreaks.