(Addis Ababa, 04 Feb 2025, Ministry of Agriculture)
Ethiopia hosts the 26th Conference of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) Regional Commission for Africa with the theme: “Animal health for food and nutritional security and public health in Africa.”
Ethiopia welcomed delegates from across Africa and beyond for the 26th Conference of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) Regional Commission for Africa.
Opening remarks, Temesgen Tiruneh, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) of Ethiopia said Africa’s rich resources yet ongoing struggles with food security and economic stability.
Temesgen underscored Ethiopia’s commitment to agriculture, noting that it constitutes one of the country’s five economic pillars and comprises a significant portion of the economy.
He pointed out that Ethiopia has the largest and diversified livestock resources in Africa and efforts are being made to develop the sector.
The conference served as a platform for discussing the opportunities and challenges posed by animal diseases, which have significant impacts on productivity and public health, he mentioned.
Temesgen called for enhanced collaboration among countries and international organizations like WOAH in addressing these challenges.
Ethiopia’s strategic initiative, Yelemat Tirufat, aim to improve agricultural productivity and job creation while focusing on animal health interventions, he states.
The conference is expected to produce recommendations to strengthen veterinary services and harmonize sanitary regulations across member countries, as to DPM.
The DPM concluded by expressing Ethiopia’s readiness to partner with various stakeholders to achieve the conference’s objectives, emphasizing the need for collaboration and innovation in promoting animal health and welfare.
The conference will continue to explore solutions to enhance food security and support economic growth through improved animal health practices, as to DPM.
Ethiopian Minister of Agriculture, Girma Amente (PhD) remarks that Ethiopia is endowed with huge livestock resources that placed it on the top of African countries.
But there are different problems such as shortage of feeds and wide spread of animal disease that reduce production and productivity, according to the Minister.
Most animal health problems have a negative impact on public health and affects the export of livestock products, he says.
To overcome the problems, we have to improve veterinary services of the country to the standard set by WOAH and implement National disease control and eradication programs like PPR, and Rabies, Girma pointed out.
Yelemat Tirufat Initiative implying the provision of sufficient, balanced foods to the people with emphasis on proteins of animal origin that is showing promising results, as to him.
Ethiopia recognizes the critical role of veterinary services in safeguarding the health and wellbeing of livestock and wildlife populations, he states.
Professionals are working tirelessly to prevent and control diseases, conducting vaccination campaigns, disease surveillance, regulatory and others, as to the Minister.
By prioritizing animal health, we are not only protect the livelihoods of farmers but also mitigate the risk of zoonotic disease and safeguard public health, he concludes.
Mabela Honore (Dr) President of WOAH Regional Commission for Africa, Susana Pombo (Dr), President of WOAH World Assembly of Delegates, Francois Caya, Deputy Director General of WOAH, Josefa Leonel, Commissioner for Agriculture of African Union, Karim Tounkara (Dr), WOAH Regional Representative for Africa delivered key notes at the conference.
Reporter: Bahiru Setegne
Camera: Yodit Endalew