Few in attendance were as excited as Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana to take part in the official groundbreaking ceremony to announce construction of the National Veterinary Reference Laboratory in Kigali, Rwanda.
Nsanzimana was appointed minister of health in 2022, when Rwanda, like the rest of the world, still was feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nsanzimana, a physician and epidemiologist, previously led the Rwanda Biomedical Centre and is co-chairman of the Pandemic Fund’s governing board.
The Pandemic Fund directed a $24.9 million grant to Rwanda, which includes $3 million for construction of the high-security BSL-3 biolab that aims to strengthen the region’s capacity to detect and respond to animal and zoonotic diseases.
“This disease detection facility, this investment we are making here, is not just for Rwanda,” Nsanzimana said during the ceremony at the Rubrizi research station in Kigali on November 18. “It is for humanity as a whole.”
Established in 2022, the Pandemic Fund finances investments to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response capacities at national, regional and international levels. Founding countries such as Germany, Japan and the United States and international philanthropic organizations have committed more than $2 billion to strengthen global pandemic preparedness and prevention.
When a new strain of mpox was detected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2024 and quickly spread across borders, including into Rwanda, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern.
The Pandemic Fund fast-tracked $128.9 million to 10 countries affected by the disease, including Rwanda. The $24.9 million grant will help Rwanda focus on surveillance, laboratory systems and workforce development.
“We were sending some samples abroad for testing,” Nsanzimana said. “The results were costly and delayed, and such delays could escalate the spread of diseases. This issue will be addressed by the new facility.”
The laboratory will improve diagnostic capacity for animal diseases with pandemic potential. BSL-3 laboratories are used to study infectious agents or toxins that might be transmitted through the air and cause potentially lethal infections. Zoonotic diseases are infectious illnesses that can spread between animals and humans.
Priya Basu, executive head of the Pandemic Fund at the World Bank, participated in the groundbreaking and said the laboratory will focus on scaling up indicator- and event-based surveillance across the human and animal health sectors, boosting antimicrobial resistance surveillance, and strengthening innovative monitoring.
“Rwanda’s pathway towards ISO 17025 accreditation [the international standard] will further position this laboratory as a trusted regional resource for cross-border disease surveillance and harmonized laboratory practice,” she said.
Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe said the new lab will replace a facility built in 1983. He shared Nsanzimana’s excitement that this project will improve pandemic preparedness on the continent.
“The Rwanda National Veterinary Reference Laboratory will supercharge our national ability and capacity to prevent, detect and respond to disease threats before they spread, especially those that can pass between animals and humans,” he said.