ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopian Biotechnology Institute (EBTI) said it is planning to establish a National Virology Institute not only as part of its capacity building program and assessing the current COVID-19 pandemic global effect but also as many of the situations around the world necessitated new biotechnological initiatives.
DR. Hailu Dadi Deputy Director General at the EBTI told the Ethiopian Herald that EBTI has been doing its normal tasks
with the ordinary laboratories before the COVID-19 incident. “But as soon as the first report was made EBTI has established a certified level two laboratory in less than ten days to start test. Now we are giving this service for over three weeks working closely with the Ethiopian Health Institute (EHI). That is one contribution that the EBTI is delivering but we have more other significant plans and that is to expand our testing laboratories in several states throughout the country which includes establishing a National Virology Institute.”
Hailu said EBTI is one of the institutions
fighting the COVID-19 on the frontline and its researchers have gained trainings to boost up efforts to curb the pandemic. He said there could be emerging diseases depending seasons and the EBTI will be working proactively in-line with the testing jobs amidst controlling COVID-19.
“Ethiopia could be one of the countries in least delivering COVID-19 test because we do not have the technological facility and the fact we have less trend or upgraded human power. But we and the government will set significant ways to have the necessary laboratories in
different parts of the country that would enable us to come up with proactive solutions, which is why establishing the National Virology Institute is mandatory. We have not made this nationally official but the EBTI Director General is working on it.”
Hailu also noted that his Institution are in position to provide grants for scientist who would come up with best scientific solutions like medicines or vaccines against COVID-19 from anywhere else though the current situations forced the Institution to remain on testing performances of the virus.
The Ethiopian Herald May 17/2020
BY HENOK TIBEBU
