Conference Abstract | Volume 9 (ConfProc7): Abstract 087 | Published: 05 Oct 2026
Gifty Emefa Fia1,&, Patrick Tetteh Ababio1, Theophilus Odoom1, Sherry Ama Mawuko Johnson2
1Accra Veterinary Laboratory, Veterinary Services Directorate, Accra, Ghana, 2School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
&Corresponding author: Gifty Emefa Fia, Accra Veterinary Laboratory, Veterinary Services Directorate, Accra, Ghana, Email: fiagifty20@gmail.com
Received: 29 Aug 2025, Accepted: 28 Oct 2025, Published: 05 Oct 2026
Domain: Laboratory System Strengthening
This is part of the Proceedings of the 8th Ghana FELTP Scientific Conference and FELTP Competency Graduation, Accra, Ghana, 10 – 11 December, 2025
Keywords: Collaboration, Networking, Laboratories, Veterinary, Ghana
©Gifty Emefa Fia et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Gifty Emefa Fia et al. Assessment of collaboration and networking among selected veterinary laboratories in Ghana. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfPro7):087. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO7-0087
Veterinary laboratories are vital for maintaining animal health and offering critical services in disease surveillance, diagnosis, and control. However, the lack of effective collaboration and networking among these laboratories hinders their ability to respond efficiently to emerging zoonotic diseases, animal trafficking, and global trade. The research focused on assessing the collaboration and networking among veterinary laboratory workers and the barriers.
A cross-sectional study was conducted using a closed-ended questionnaire to collect data. The target population was veterinary laboratory workers selected from Kumasi veterinary laboratory, Accra veterinary laboratory, and Pong Tamale veterinary laboratory in Ghana. A simple random sampling technique was used to select participants for the study. Results were presented as means, standard deviations, and frequencies using SPSS.
The study included 55 laboratory personnel from the three selected laboratories in Ghana. The study found collaboration through close communication with the national laboratory (62%), regular training (53%), and 51% reported the constant provision of reagents and kits. Collaboration between laboratories involved sharing monthly information among staff (33%) using electronic platforms (40%). However, the barriers hindering collaboration and networking included confidentiality issues regarding data sharing (36%), a lack of expertise in using the electronic platform (26%), and inadequate funding (42%).
The study highlights the critical need for enhanced collaboration and networking among veterinary laboratories in Ghana. Addressing systemic barriers to strengthen disease surveillance and diagnostics, ultimately protecting public health through more effective veterinary and zoonotic disease management. This can be done through adequate funding and regular training among laboratory workers.
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