(Adama, December 5, 2025 Ministry of Agriculture)
Extensive work is being carried out, focusing on capacity building around crucial aspects of animal health protection specifically, the early detection, prevention, and rapid response to animal diseases to boost productivity in the livestock sector and ensure public health safety. This effort aims to strengthen the livestock sector’s significant contribution to the national economic transition, job creation, and foreign trade revenue.
Animal health professionals have received a five-day intensive capacity building training on mitigating the risks of transboundary diseases and enabling them to early detect, prevent, and rapidly respond to outbreaks should they occur. The training included theoretical and practical sessions, with extensive discussions and experience sharing.
To strengthen this work, which is based on proactive prevention, a National Manual for Emergency Operations Management in Animal Health has been prepared in collaboration with the Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (EMC) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). This document seeks to address observed weaknesses in reporting and investigation during disease outbreaks and to improve emergency preparedness and response procedures.
The manual outlines principles for controlling animal epidemics, including the identification of outbreak zones, animal quarantine procedures, and movement control. The five-day training also included a Simulation Exercise (SIMEX) to test the procedures outlined in the draft manual. The service primarily focuses on the early warning phase of a disaster, which involves implementing proactive prevention measures when a danger sign is observed or when a confirmed outbreak in neighboring countries poses a threat.
At the conclusion of the training, the trainees expressed that they had acquired sufficient knowledge and skills. They pledged to cascade this capacity down to other professionals, share the knowledge, and work to ensure outreach to farmers and pastoralists by raising their awareness about the nature of the diseases.
Reporter: Gedion Negash
Camera: Yodit Endalew