The SAARC Regional capacity development programme on “Laboratory Biosafety and Biosecurity for Handling Transboundary Animal diseases and Zoonotic Emerging Pathogens” was conducted at ICAR- National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (ICAR-NIVEDI), Yelahanka, Bengaluru, India during 19th to 24th August, 2019. The said regional training programme was jointly organized by the SAARC Agriculture Centre, Dhaka, Bangladesh and ICAR- National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, India. Dr. Ashis Kumar Samanta, Senior Programme Specialist – Livestock was the programme coordinator and lead the SAARC delegation team to the host organization.

The training was attended by thirteen participants from six Member States namely Afghanistan (three), Bangladesh (two), Bhutan (two), India (one), Nepal (two), and Sri Lanka (three). The inaugural session was graced by Dr. Raghavendra Bhatta, Director, ICAR- National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology as Chief Guest, Dr. Aniket Sanyal, Joint Director, Bengaluru Campus of Indian Veterinary Research Institute as Guest of Honour, Dr. Ashis Kumar Samanta, Senior Programme Specialist – Livestock, SAARC Agriculture Centre, Dhaka as Guest of Honour. The session was chaired by Dr.Parimal Roy, Director, ICAR-NIVEDI and Course Director of the SAARC Regional Training and he briefed about the Institute activities on the above theme. The bound training manual was released during inaugural session and distributed to all the participants.

The valedictory function of the training programme was held in the afternoon of on 24th August, 2019. Dr. Praveen Malik, Animal Husbandry Commissioner, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, New Delhi, Government of Indiagraced the occasion as Chief Guest; while Dr. Ashok Kumar, Assistant Director General (Animal Health), ICAR, New Delhi was present as Special Guest. Dr. Jagadish Hiremath, Course Coordinator, ICAR-NIVEDI, presented the training report and feedback was given by the participants particularly the usefulness of the regional training. The chief guest urged the participants to apply the knowledge and skill earned while handling transboundary disease in their own country.