IATA training for African lab transport

FAO said on June 10, 2024 that it had brought laboratory staff from nine Eastern and Southern African countries to Nairobi for a five-day course on shipping infectious substances by air. The program ran from June 3 to June 7 and was organized through the U.N. agency’s Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases in Eastern and Southern Africa, according to FAO. The agency said 15 laboratory staff took part. It said the training focused on how to package, label, document and handle infectious substances in line with international rules. ### Which countries were represented in the Nairobi course? FAO said the participants came from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The agency described the course as a regional effort aimed at laboratory personnel who handle specimens that may need to move across borders for diagnosis and outbreak response. (fao.org) The nine-country list matches the regional framing in FAO’s account and gives the clearest verified outline of who attended. A social media post from FAO Rwanda referred to a regional training for experts from nine African countries, but the FAO news release provides the named countries and participant count. (fao.org) ### What exactly were they trained to do? FAO said the course was designed to equip participants with the skills to safely package, label, document and handle infectious substances in compliance with international regulations. The agency said those tasks are required to move specimens safely and efficiently by air. (fao.org) IATA’s infectious substances transport training describes the same core compliance areas for Division 6.2 materials, including the rules used for shipping infectious substances in medical research and diagnostic work. WHO’s transport guidance says safe shipment depends on correct classification, packaging, marking, labelling, documentation and refrigeration where needed. (fao.org) ### Why is air-transport training for infectious samples so tightly regulated? WHO says the safe transport of infectious substances is a critical part of global health security and requires rigorous application of international regulations to prevent exposure risks to people and the environment. Its guidance says shippers, carriers, packaging suppliers and receivers all need current technical information and trained personnel. (iata.org) FAO said many countries still face gaps in capacity, equipment or reagents needed for rapid detection and diagnosis during outbreaks. The agency said rapid detection, accurate diagnosis and timely response are critical in managing emerging and re-emerging infectious animal and zoonotic diseases. ### How does this fit into FAO’s wider work in Africa? (who.int) FAO said the Nairobi course is part of a broader effort to strengthen regional capacity to manage disease outbreaks. The agency said the June 2024 training was supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development-funded Global Health Security program and was aligned with WHO guidance and IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. (fao.org) In December 2022, FAO reported a similar five-day training in Abuja for veterinary laboratory staff from Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. That earlier course also focused on safe packaging practices and shipping diagnostic specimens by air, and FAO said participants who passed the examination would be able to sign the Dangerous Goods Declaration. (fao.org) ### What does “IATA-aligned” mean in practice for lab staff? IATA says its infectious substances transport training is intended to keep personnel compliant with regulations for shipping infectious substances, including Category A and Category B materials used in diagnostic and research settings. FAO’s earlier West and Central Africa training said staff need these skills to classify infectious substances, select packaging, mark and label packages, and prepare documentation that conforms with the rules. (fao.org) FAO said the Nairobi participants successfully completed the June 3-7 course. The agency said the program was intended to ensure specimens can be transported safely and efficiently, with the next step being use of those procedures by trained laboratory staff in the nine participating countries. (fao.org) (iata.org)