New EDGe Centre Strengthens Trinidad And Tobago’s Defences Against Emerging Disease Threats

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries today reaffirmed its commitment to stronger animal health systems and disease surveillance at the unveiling of the One Health Molecular Epidemiology and Genomics (EDGe) Centre. Senator the Honourable Ravi Ratiram, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, attended the ceremony at the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business.

The EDGe Centre is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Ministry of Health. It is being established under the TT ONE LAB+ project with financing from the Pandemic Fund, and is guided by the One Health approach, which recognises the links between human, animal and environmental health.

The Centre will strengthen Trinidad and Tobago’s ability to detect, investigate and respond to emerging disease threats through improved laboratory diagnostics, genomic surveillance and epidemiological analysis. It will also position the country as a regionalhub for veterinary diagnostics, disease surveillance and scientific training, boosting the Caribbean’s collective preparedness.