New brucellosis laboratory improves Mongolia’s diagnostic capacity
Press release,
07.09.2015
A Livestock Reference Laboratory for Brucellosis opened at the Mongolian State Central Veterinary Laboratory on September 3, 2015 will improve the country’s capacity to diagnose the disease in animals in line with international standards.
“We are now able to diagnose livestock brucellosis at world standards” said State Central Veterinary Laboratory Director Ch. Ganzorig.
“This means we are making a step forward in improving food security for consumers and are safeguarding public health issues.”
The MNT 200 million (CHF 100,000) laboratory was backed with international expertise and trainings for laboratory staff.
“We received numerous trainings by international experts on using the cutting-edge technologies and equipment in brucellosis diagnosis thanks to support from the Swiss-funded Animal Health Project,” said bacteriologist J. Munkhgerel.
Ms Munkhgerel said the state-of-art diagnosis of brucellosis would help to improve the national brucellosis control strategy. “It will also help to eliminate human brucellosis in the future.”
SDC in Mongolia’s Head of Programme Daniel Valenghi said: “It is a part of the technical assistance from the Swiss Government to Mongolia in reforming the veterinary sector. With the collaboration in improving Mongolia’s diagnostic system, we envision a dramatic drop in the incidence of human brucellosis, which is currently about five percent of the entire population.”
A cutting edge production combining dance, music and video art that explores different perceptions of gender equality is the first such Swiss-Mongolian collaborative performance to be staged in Mongolia.
“Aquafire”, an Arts Council of Mongolia production to be held on December 24 at the Corporate Hotel and Convention Centre in Ulaanbaatar, examines patriarchy, democracy and gender equality through the eyes of both men and women, and challenges the gender stereotypes associated with national cultural identity.
Lending their talents to the landmark production are dancer and choreographer Odbayar Batsuuri, who is a member of the Chicago-based Hedwig Dances ensemble, composer Purevsukh Tyeliman, film-maker Ikhbayar Shagdarsuren, Swiss trumpet player Matthieu Michel and American stage and lighting designer Barry Steele. The performance features three parts, “Fire Dreamed of Aqua”, “Aqua Falls in Love with Fire” and “Aquafire”, set to live music and backed with video art.
In conjunction with the performance, the Arts Council of Mongolia will host an Artsee talk series on gender equality and stereotypes with the production team, a gender-equality activist and other professionals on December 17 at the Corporate Hotel.