Leading the world in the standardization of animal disease diagnosis

- A ceremony and an international workshop for the designation of the world’s first Collaboration Center for reference materials for the diagnosis of diseases in marine and terrestrial animals.

- Joint designation of the National Institute of Fisheries Science and the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency as the world's first center dedicated to collaboration on reference materials for genetic diagnosis by the World Organization for Animal Health.

 The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) have announced that they will jointly hold a commemorative ceremony and an international workshop with domestic and international experts in marine and terrestrial animal diseases at the Sejong Convention Center on July 4 to celebrate the designation of the National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS) and the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) as the "World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) Collaboration Center" in the field of "Genetic Diagnostic Reference Materials."

 The event will be held to commemorate the designation of the two organizations as the world's first “WOAH Collaboration Center” in the field of “Reference Materials for Genetic Diagnosis” at the 91st general meeting of the WOAH in Paris, France last May and to discuss their future international roles.

 Owing to their joint designation as the “WOAH Collaboration Center”, laboratories worldwide will now be able access and use “Reference Materials for Genetic Diagnosis” developed by Korea more conveniently. Furthermore, if this technology is widely used globally, the world's capacity to diagnose diseases of marine and terrestrial animals is expected to improve greatly and contribute to the safe and healthy production of animals, which are the world’s main source of protein.

 In addition, the designation of a “WOAH Collaboration Center” is all the more meaningful in that it is the result of exemplary governmental collaboration through consultation with WOAH for four years from 2021, by experts from MOF and MAFRA.

 Meanwhile, WOAH Collaboration Center will establish a secretariat at the NIFS, and both organizations plan to jointly carry out core tasks such as diagnostic technology support and education using the Reference Materials.