The European Union and the World Health Organization have donated equipment for sequencing the SARS-CoV-2 genome to the Moldovan Agency of Public Health. Valued at about 400,000 euros, the sequencer will enable the Moldovan health care authorities to detect new variants, track their spread and monitor the development of the pandemic situation.

During the donation ceremony, Health Minister Ala Nemerenco said the sequencer is an important and long-awaited piece of equipment that enables real-time monitoring of viral transmission.

EU Ambassador to Moldova Janis Mazeiks said: “The sequencer is very valuable and important for the health care system of Moldova during the pandemic, because it allows a very rapid evaluation of new strains, but it will also be useful for other objectives of the health care system. The European Union provides ongoing support to the Republic of Moldova and the consolidation of the health care system by implementing major projects.”

UN Resident Coordinator Simon Springett says this equipment will help epidemiologists detect and track trends in the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to supporting laboratories during the pandemic, the WHO and the European team also provided other equipment for medical institutions that care for COVID-19 patients. Support has also been provided on the COVAX platform in the form of vaccines. In this respect, the official has called on members of the public to get immunized.

Miljana Grbic, WHO representative, stated that the equipment donated today also includes consumables in support of the entire health care system of Moldova. It is a state-of-the-art, automated system that allows obtaining test results on the same day. “Sequencing is very important in understanding the spread of this disease and the evolution of viruses. This equipment will help identify the types and subtypes of viruses. And as mentioned, we are not just talking about detecting SARS-CoV-2,” said Miljana Grbic.