FAO in collaboration with TVLA to boost animal vaccine production in the country
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has commended the great work by the Tanzania Veterinary Laboratory Agency (TVLA) in efforts to make the country self-reliant in livestock vaccine production.
Speaking during a visit to the Tanzania Vaccination Institute (TVI) in Kibaha, Pwani Region, FAO Representative in Tanzania, Fred Kafeero, commended the exemplary work by TVLA through the Institute to produce different types of vaccines for controlling animal diseases in the country.
FAO’s Mandate
“We appreciate the great work being done here by your experts. FAO’s mandate on livestock is on both animal health and production. As one of FAO’s major programmes, is an Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), which aims to strengthen capacities of member countries to detect and control animal diseases.
“As a technical Agency, FAO will continue to provide technical expertise through strengthening capacities of personnel involved in vaccine production. We will also continue advocating for the good work you are doing, and interesting other development partners to offer their support,” he added.
Firm Determination
During the visit, the TVLA Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Furaha Mramba, said that they were determined to make Tanzania self-relient on livestock vaccines and that several types of vaccines have been produced since 2014 while a number of others are at various stages of trials.
"It is cost-saving when the country produces its own vaccines instead of importing them and spending so much money for the purpose. We have plans for expansion that will enable us to reach this important goal," Dr. Mramba said.
On her part, TVI Manager, Stella Bitanyi, said that the institute began operations since 2014 and that it has ever since been expanding step by step by training its personnel within the country and abroad to ensure that they have the required qualifications and competences for the work. These capacities are still needed.
For many years now, FAO and TVLA have been working together in a number of areas in animal health issues mainly around capacity building of national and regional laboratories across the country through provision of training to technical staff, provision of diagnostic equipment, laboratory consumables and reagents, ICT materials.
During the visit, others in the FAO Tanzania delegation included ECTAD Programme Team Leader, Folorunso Fasina and National Laboratory Expert, Raphael Sallu.