Dairy development Authority partners with IDI to strengthen capacity of laboratories to conduct microbiology testing of milk.
The main objective of the Anti Microbial Resistance Surveillance Project is to strengthen and maintain laboratories capacity in meeting Global Health Agenda Goals that will support health systems in Uganda to develop capabilities to prevent, detect and respond to infectious diseases.
Drake Nyamugabwa
Under the Anti Microbial Resistance Surveillance project (AMR) The Dairy Development Authority (DDA) has partnered with The Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) to strengthen and maintain laboratory capacity detect, prevent and respond to infectious disease outbreaks and including antimicrobial resistance.
During the 18 months AMR project which commenced in October 2020 DDA has procured vehicles to ease transportation of samples for microbiology testing, deliver equipments, provide routine servicing, conduct survey among other activities.
The Minister of State for Animal Industry Hon. Bright Rwamirama launched the Anti-Microbial Resistance(AMR) Surveillance Program as he also handed over a vehicle to DDA from IDI at the DDA Headquarters.
AMR are variants that make milk go bad faster and cows die quickly. This program managed by MOTT MACDONALD and implemented by IDI and DDA aims at monitoring and controlling Anti-Microbial resistance, use and consumption in the dairy industry.
The project will generate data useful for policy formulation, mapping, diagnostics and investment. The project that has so far donated a vehicle for sample collection, equipped the national dairy laboratory will also train staff for the same cause.
In an interview on the sidelines of a handover ceremony of vehicles to the Diary Development authority, Samson Akankiza Mpiira, The Director Technical Services said that the project will strengthen microbiology labaratories to conduct pathogenic bacterial identification susceptibility testing in various agricultural products including milk.
“Anti Microbial Resistance Surveillance is a project supported by The Fleming Fund Country Grant II in collaboration with Infectious Disaease institute, Makererere aimed at meeting the Global Health Security Agenda goals, that will support health systems in Uganda to develop capabilities to prevent, detect to infectious disease outbreaks and biological threats” he said
The Director said that the authority will ensure that there is increased testing, and enhance the quality of laboratory testing towards increased parameters and generate a national data base for AMR to inform policy and practice.
“ DDA will provide transportation of milk and other samples from various parts of the country to the main laboratory in Kampala for testing of milk samples for microbiological resistance to know why consumed and infected animal products are causing resistance to drugs after causing human infection” he added
He added that DDA plan to integrate the testing plan in the health systems in Uganda for sustainability of the programme even after the end of the project in 2022.
The Head of the National Dairy Laboratory, Wandera Julius applauded the project as a new dimension for diary sub-sector which he said will ensure data collection, create food safety and monitor antimicrobial resistance in milk.
He explained that when people consume milk, antimicrobial might affect them leading to resistance to drugs including zonotic diseases like brucella got from animals.
