Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Republican State Center for Animal Disease Diagnosis and Food Safety hosted a five-day international training course on laboratory diagnosis of zoonotic diseases.

The event was held within the framework of the project “Pandemic Preparedness and Response through the One Health Approach in Central Asia”, supported by the Pandemic Fund in cooperation with the FAO, WHO, and the World Bank.

Covering Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, the project aims to strengthen regional preparedness for outbreaks of especially dangerous infections through cross-sectoral collaboration.

“The One Health approach reflects the inseparable link between human, animal, and environmental health,” said Nariman Nishanov, FAO’s Chief Technical Advisor for the project. “In Uzbekistan, one of the top priorities is ensuring the availability of safe meat products for both the population and tourists. Effective diagnosis and control of zoonotic diseases play a key role in achieving this goal.”

The training, focused on hands-on practice, provided modern diagnostic materials and reagents from Germany worth around US$15,000, including PCR and ELISA kits for rabies and brucellosis detection, along with consumables and control samples.

Sessions were led by international expert Kiril Krstevski, a specialist in animal health surveillance and coordinator of the Balkan Network of the European Commission for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD). The program covered advanced diagnostic methods for priority zoonoses — rabies and brucellosis — using real-time PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), as well as principles of biosafety and quality control in laboratory testing.

Upon completion, participants not only gained practical experience with cutting-edge diagnostic equipment but also received international certificates.

The knowledge and skills acquired will support the development of a sustainable veterinary and sanitary surveillance system in Uzbekistan and enhance regional cooperation under the One Health framework.

The Committee for Veterinary Medicine and Livestock Development stressed that strengthening laboratory capacity and upgrading specialist skills are crucial for early detection and containment of zoonotic diseases, especially amid growing trade and migration flows in Central Asia.

This project serves as a vivid example of effective international cooperation in global health security and demonstrates the region’s readiness for coordinated measures to prevent potential pandemics.