Somalilandsun: The Standard Methods and Procedures in Animal Health (SMP-AH) Project successfully developed the capacities of the staff of the Ministry on the methods and skills they need to identify and use the local knowledge in the surveillance and control of trans-boundary animal diseases. In so doing, participants were introduced to Participatory Disease surveillance (PDS) in order to help them integrate indigenous knowledge into disease control.
The workshop, held from 6th to 7th August, 2015, in Hargesa, Somaliland, pull together a total of 20 participants from the national and regional Mobile Veterinary Teams, Central Veterinary Laboratory, Disease Reporting Centres, Epidemiology and Data Management Units, Quarantine Stations and Regional Veterinary Coordinators (RVOs), located in Awdal, Togdheer, Hargeisa, Maroodi jeex, Cergavo, Saxil, Salaxlay, Sool and Berbera.
Opening the workshop, the Director General in the Ministry of Livestock, Somaliland, Dr Jama Odowa recognized the prominent place the livestock sector constitutes in Somaliland’s national economy and expressed his government’s commitment to combat Participants recognized the incredible worked done by Standards Methods and Procedures in Animal Health project implemented by AU-IBAR in partnership with IGAD with financial support from USAID for supporting the training on Participatory Disease Surveillance. This would help in applying the best approaches that uphold local contexts and knowledge in the control of transboundary animal diseases.
Representing the Director of AU-IBAR, Professor Ahmed Elsawalhy, Dr Joseph Magona remarked that AU-IBAR/SMP-AH designed the workshop, aiming at creating and advancing a compressive and effective disease control system, which is participatory and inclusive, as well as open to integrate indigenous knowledge and skills.
Background
SMP-AH is being implemented by AU-IBAR in partnership with IGAD Centre for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development (IGAD/ICPALD) and nine countries in the Greater Horn of Africa (GHoA) namely, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The project is supported by United States Agency for International Development, East Africa Mission (USAID/EA) under the framework of the U.S. Global Hunger and Food Security initiative, feed the Future. The project aims to support harmonization and coordination of surveillance, prevention and control of trade-related trans-boundary animal diseases (TADs) in GHoA region in order to promote movement of livestock across national boundaries, without posing health risks to both human and livestock, and hence promote regional and international trade in livestock and livestock products.
© 2015 AU-IBAR.
