European Union boosts avian influenza surveillance in the EAC
ARUSHA, Tanzania, August 25, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The European Community (EU) has donated seven 4-wheel drive vehicles worth Euros 207, 725 to the East African Community to boost the Regional Avian Influenza surveillance activities. The donation is part of the EAC Regional Avian Influenza Preparedness and Response project that aims at contributing to the socio-economic welfare and public health in the East African Community by minimizing the impact of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. The project is funded by the EU and co-implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Nairobi office.
The three year project is funded to the tune of three (3) Million euro. The EAC is to receive one million euro while 1.68 euro is to be channeled through FAO. FAO will work closely with EAC Secretariat to implement the project in the five Partner States.
While receiving the vehicles at the EAC Headquarters, the Secretary General of the East African Community, Amb. Juma V. Mwapachu said the EAC animal disease control strategy was based on early detection and early response so that diseases are contained at source. He said this approach requires that the general public must be informed and on the lookout for disease incidences and that disease incidences must be reported to the appropriate authorities for further investigation.
“The challenge is therefore in ensuring that our disease surveillance systems are kept on alert all the time. Transfer of information, movement of rapid response teams and transporting of samples are very important in disease control” noted Amb. Mwapachu. He further noted that for effective disease control, passive and active surveillance must be carried out and all these disease control activities require transport. In this context, the EAC Secretary General expressed the Community’s appreciation to the EU for the providing funds for the acquisition of the seven vehicles.
The Secretary General said each Partner States including Zanzibar was to receive a vehicle to boost its transport situation in the respective Animal Health Departments.
The Director of Productive and Social Sector, Dr. Caleb Weggoro said the overall goal of animal production in the EAC is to produce enough quality animals and animal produce to match the requirements for the rapidly increasing population and create surpluses for export. He said disease occurrence in the region is a direct obstacle to this regional goal and therefore robust disease surveillance and control strategies must be put in place. He said the emerging and re-emerging diseases in the region pose big challenge to livestock production in the region.
The Director reiterated that in light of the pending signing and implementation of the Common Market Protocol and regional trade interests, the EAC Secretariat was putting special emphasis on trans-boundary disease control initiatives.
The Senior Livestock and Fisheries Officer, Mr. Timothy Wesonga disclosed that apart from the vehicles, the EAC Partner States were also to receive computers and GPS for disease surveillance under the EU funded project.
Present at the handover ceremony were the EAC Deputy Secretaries General; for Finance and Administration, Dr. Julius Tangus Rotich; and that of Productive and Social Sector, Mr. Jean Claude Nsengiyumva; Senior EAC Officials and the general public.
SOURCE
East African Community (EAC)
