Vet Lab Assessment in Phnom Penh

The assessment of Veterinary Laboratory System was conducted at the National Animal Health and Production Research Institute (NAHPRI) in Phnom Penh on 18 and 19 December 2020.

The assessment was split in two morning sessions to allow Dr. Arsen Zakaryan, Lab expert at IQLS and based in Canada, providing online guidance to fill the questionnaire properly.

Dr Tum Sothyra, Director of the NAHPRI, Mrs. Reng Theary, Deputy Director, Mrs. Seng Bunary the Head of the virology unit, Dr Holl Davun, Deputy-Director of GDAHP and focal person for SEALAB project were assisted by Vivian Fensham from IQLS and Dr. Mardy Sek from Fondation Merieux who took on the role of facilitators.

Actually, NAHPRI is the only veterinary laboratory in service in Cambodia. A World Bank project will support setting up of five provincial veterinary laboratories in 2020; in this sense, this assessment was particularly timely because it raised critical questions on deployment of a laboratory network.

Following this assessment, a meeting was held on 13 January 2021, bringing again together key persons to discuss the priorities of NAHPRI (7 listed) among gaps identified to allow better aligning recommendations of IQLS report.