Press Releases
USAID continues to bolster Sri Lanka’s defense against Avian Influenza
Colombo, October 09, 2008: The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID handed over a real-time Polymerase Chain Reactor machine to the Veterinary Research Institute of the Ministry of Livestock Development, which will dramatically improve the Sri Lanka’s ability to diagnose quickly any possible outbreak of avian influenza.
“This piece of equipment will dramatically reduce the time it takes to diagnose an avian influenza outbreak,” Ms. Kami Witmer, Economic Officer, U.S. Embassy said at the handover ceremony. “In the event of a real outbreak, the time saved could be the difference between life and death for hundreds, perhaps thousands of Sri Lankans,” she added. Prior to the machine being handed over to the authorities, it took two to four days to diagnose samples. With the new technology, sample diagnosis can be done within three hours.
Since 2006, USAID has worked with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to increase Avian Influenza preparedness activities across the island, in collaboration with the Department of Animal Production and Health. The program has strengthened Sri Lanka’s early warning and early reaction capacity and provided critical preparedness materials to government and private sector stakeholders in the poultry industry. In total, USAID has provided nearly $1 million towards preventing an incursion of Avian Influenza in Sri Lanka.