The Twinning project between two FAO-OIE Designated Rinderpest Holding Facilities – the Pirbright Institute (United Kingdom) and the African Union Pan African Veterinary Vaccine Centre (AU-PANVAC, Ethiopia) – had its kick-off meeting at the beginning of April 2017. The project is made possible through the generous contribution of Global Affairs Canada and is expected to be completed in December 2017. The overall objective is to foster collaboration amongst Rinderpest Holding Facilities, rinderpest being a disease eradicated in 2011. In this regard, the considerable expertise and experience of the Pirbright Institute (also an OIE Reference Laboratory for rinderpest) will be utilised to support AU-PANVAC in improving operational procedures of its Bio-Safety Level (BSL) 3 laboratory in Debre-Zeit according to relevant international standards. To achieve this, a comprehensive and rigorous programme of biosafety and quality assurance training for all relevant staff will be implemented which will further support the delivery of AU-PANVAC’s mandate as a Rinderpest Holding Facility
