Roland Suluku

Roland Suluku is a senior Lecturer, Head of department Animal Science and Coordinator of Njala University One Health Serology and Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory. He received his undergraduate B.Sc. Agricultural General from Njala University College and M.Sc. Animal Science from Njala University. He is currently working on his PhD thesis on Dog Ownership Pattern, Current Rabies Status and One Health Approaches Towards Control of Rabies In Sierra Leone in the same university, to be completed in September 2019.

After completing his training on Practical Animal Husbandry (July-November 1992) in Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich Switzerland he returned home and developed keen interest in Animal husbandry. He established his own farm after graduation, where he raised improved Pigs, Local Chickens, Goats, Sheep and cultivated assorted vegetable farm. The rebels invaded his farm and later fled to the capital city where he gained employment as logistic coordinator at the International Rescue Committee. He later left the Nongovernmental employment to pursue a M.Sc. Degree in Animal Science. Upon graduation, gained employment with German Agro Action as Animal Husbandry Specialist. He did the best restocking after the war which earned him employment in the university as a Lecturer in the animal science department. He has received various trainings in molecular diagnostic techniques, from University of Pretoria, Entebbe, Botswana; and Fredrich Loeffler Institute of Animal health in Germany.

He implemented the first One Health at community level in the world and first to raise awareness on rabies and celebrate world rabies day in Sierra Leone. He is involved in community outreach project with his animal health club linking communities to the laboratories in the University. He has 27 years’ experience working in rural communities in Sierra Leone and has rich Epidemiological experience of diseases in the Country. His hard work and effort with FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry culminated in reporting the first Disease outbreak (Pest des Petit Ruminant) to the World Animal Health (OIE) after 50 years in 2018. His research interest is to link laboratory to rural community people and educate them disease control and prevention.