In a bid to combat the frequent outbreak of disease, especially zoonotic diseases in Nigeria, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has harped on the need to build integrated strategies and policies for animal health workforce development.
This according to them will ensure timely and effective disease detection and response to combat these threats.
Speaking at the Regional Meeting for Front-line In-Service Applied Veterinary Epidemiology (ISAVET) Program in West and Central Africa held in Abuja, the FAO Representative in Nigeria Dominique Koffy Kouacou noted that the FAO in 2018, led the Frontline In-Service Applied Veterinary Epidemiology Training (ISAVET) program in Africa.
Kouacou who was represented by Tofiq Braimah, International Operations Specialist at the FAO, said the goal of the ISAVET training program is to build workforce field epidemiology capacity, to improve surveillance and response to health security threats, tailored to country needs, in a harmonized and sustainable manner across Africa.
“There is a critical need to build integrated strategies and policies for animal health workforce development, to ensure timely and effective disease detection and response to combat these threats.
“In 2018, FAO piloted the Frontline In-Service Applied Veterinary Epidemiology Training (ISAVET) program in Africa, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
“Since January 2020, twelve countries in West and Central Africa (WCA), including Nigeria, have been implementing the program successfully.
“The goal of the ISAVET training program is to build workforce field epidemiology capacity, in order to improve surveillance and response to health security threats, tailored to country needs, in a harmonized and sustainable manner across Africa,” he said.
He said the innovative in-service training model allows for rapid translation of these benefits to the national veterinary services so that the positive impacts on health security and food production will be felt in short order.
“This 2024 regional meeting gives us a good opportunity to take stock of the ISAVET program so far, celebrate our achievements, discover solutions to our challenges, and coordinate our efforts across countries.
“The ISAVET program has made significant contributions to improving veterinary field epidemiology capacity in West and Central Africa. However, we still have a long way to go – Nigeria alone has over 10,000 veterinarians and 50,000 paraprofessionals
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi who was represented by a Director at the Department of Veterinary Services in the Ministry, Musa Inuwa noted that ISAVET is an FAO initiative aimed at building the capacity of field veterinarians and other animal health workers to detect, investigate, and respond to animal disease outbreaks in real-time.
The Minister said that ISAVET aligns with Nigeria’s goals to strengthen the animal health system, ensure food security, and protect public health.
“I am aware, that 5 cohorts of 156 participants have been trained, comprising 62 Females and 94 Males in Nigeria. The few individuals are skilled in responding swiftly to outbreaks, mitigating the risks of disease escalation, and protecting livestock, wildlife, and human populations
“The program has provided data-driven insights needed to understand the patterns, causes, and effects of animal diseases. In addition, they provide a robust epidemiological workforce that is critical to disease monitoring, outbreak investigation, and data collection at the grassroots level (Anthrax outbreaks early this year and the ongoing Haemorrhagic 9093 Septicaemia in Taraba).
Abdullahi expressed hope that the workshop will highlight the importance of regional collaboration in veterinary epidemiology, especially in addressing transboundary diseases like Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, Foot-and-Mouth Disease, and African Swine Fever amongst others.
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