By Lodu William Odiya
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has donated laboratory equipment to South Sudan National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS).
In a statement issued by the SSNBS press unit yesterday, during the handover ceremony on Thursday, the FAO Country Representative Dr. Meshack Malo, expressed appreciation for the current leadership of SSNBS and commended the Government of the Republic of South Sudan for its continued cooperation.
He noted that the donation aims to strengthen laboratory capacity and support effective quality and safety testing.
“In total, FAO donated 17 different laboratory equipment items, which will be utilized for various analytical purposes” the statement partly read.
He further reaffirmed FAO’s commitment to continue supporting SSNBS in all possible capacities.
In her remarks, Gloria Nyoka Joseph expressed sincere appreciation to FAO for its continued support to the Government of South Sudan and the Bureau.
She also conveyed the appreciation of Atong Kuol Manyang, the National Minister of Trade and Industry, who was scheduled to attend the handover ceremony but was unable to do so due to other pressing commitments.
Nyoka emphasized that the donated equipment will be utilized in both the Chemical and Microbiological Laboratories.
She underscored that this contribution would strengthen the Bureau’s laboratory capacity to safeguard public health, enhance the quality and safety of testing services, and promote value for money in trade by increasing confidence in test results among traders and other stakeholders.
Proper laboratory equipment allows SSNBS to test food, water, medicines, fuel, and construction materials. This helps protect citizens from unsafe products that can cause illness, accidents, or environmental harm.
Furthermore, equipped labs enable SSNBS to verify whether imported and locally produced goods actually meet national and international quality standards.
Additionally, the laboratory testing equipment helps identify fake medicines, poor-quality food items, and unsafe industrial products, which are common risks in developing markets and also in cases of contamination, disease outbreaks, or industrial accidents, laboratories allow quick analysis and timely decisions that can save lives.