August 14, 2021
Ministry of Agriculture Newsletter
The National Animal and Plant Health Laboratory (NAPHL), part of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), is one of the oldest veterinary laboratory institutes in East Africa. Established during the Italian period in 1903, it is located in the southwest part of Asmara (referred to as “Villagio”). For a long period after its establishment, it was known as the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL). During the structural reorganization of the MoA in 2003, the CVL extended its structure, scope, and activities to include functions of Plant Health Laboratory, and was eventually renamed as the National Animal and Plant Health Laboratory.
Since 1992, the NAPHL has been expanding its services and introducing new units. Currently, The NAPHL works under the Office of the Minister through a Board of Management, while technical and operational activities are coordinated and managed by its Director. At this time, the NAPHL has a total of 137 staff out of which 50 percent are females. The NAPHL has regularly broadened its functions to provide required services to the technical departments of the MoA, regional laboratories, and other relevant stakeholders.
