As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to plague economies and
societies across the globe, the Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa (SROS) maintains
its commitment to strengthening and enhancing its contributions to Samoa’s nation-wide
response with support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the
International Atom Energy Agency (IAEA)
FAO Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific Islands, HE Ms Xiangjun Yao, attended the
handover ceremony representing Mr Liang Qu, the Director of Joint IAEA/FAO office in
Vienna and FAO. “FAO recognizes that research for development is fundamental to boast
food security which and agriculture development is an important FAO mandate.”
Yao said. “This equipment will greatly help in the detection of COVID-19 as well as
zoonotic after COVID, detection, of animal diseases like Africans Swine fever (ASF), a
highly contagious viral disease in domestic pigs and wild boar which currently has no
effective treatment.
The Hon Lopao’o Natanielu Mu’a, Minister for the Scientific Research Organisation of
Samoa, received the assistance that was handed over by HE Ms Xiangjun Yao.

FAO Sub regional Coordinator for the Pacific Islands, HE Ms Xiangjun Yao presenting the
donations to SROS Minister Lopao’o Natanielu Mua.
The Government of Samoa submitted a request under the interregional technical cooperation
project on ‘Strengthening Capabilities of Member States in Building, Strengthening and

Restoring Capacities and Services in Case of Outbreaks, Emergencies and Disasters’, the
financial aid has made possible, the procurement of several state-of-the-art bio-molecular
diagnostic and research equipment as well as much needed laboratory consumables.
The instruments were procured by IAEA from Eurofins Genomics (Austria), Biozym
Scientific (Germany), ESCO MICRO Pte Ltd (Singapore) and Fleischhacker GmbH & Co.
(Germany). The further technical support for detection of SARS-CoV-2 and control of
zoonotic disease in the future will be provided by the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear
Techniques in Food and Agriculture under the coordination of FAO Subregional Office for
the Pacific Islands in Apia (SAP).
The Government of Samoa acknowledges with great appreciation IAEA, FAO and major
donors of IAEA Member States the Government of the USA for their generous support and
commitment in strengthening the country’s response to COVID-19 through SROS.