Minister Calls For Quality Human Health

Dr. Alfred Sugri Tia

THE DEPUTY Minister of Food and Agriculture in charge of Livestock, Dr. Alfred Sugri Tia has challenged border veterinary service officials to preserve human health and prevent economic losses associated with the spread of trans boundary animal diseases by ensuring a safe flow of trade animals and animal products.

He said with the increasing liberalization and globalization of trade in agricultural products including animal and other products, the risk of movement of Trans-boundary Animal Diseases (TADs) had increased greatly over the years.

Dr. Tia, who was speaking at the opening of a four-day regional workshop of veterinarians at Mensvic Hotel in Accra on Monday, stressed that these disease threats could cause major economic losses and poses a serious threat to food security and public health in many countries.

The workshop dubbed 'Veterinary border control (Inspection and Certification) of imports and exports of live animals and products of animal origin, a tool for monitoring of TADs including HPAI,' is under the auspices of the USDA-APHIS sub-regional office for West and Central Africa in collaboration with the Agric Ministry and the US Embassy in Accra.

The programme aims to strengthen the capacity of border veterinary services to ensure safe trade of animal goods in implementing science-based rules and principles relating to inspection and certification enacted by the International Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and World Trade Organization (WTO).

The presentations and demonstrations during the workshop would also focus on international principles and rules and highlight on country experiences.

The deputy minister indicated that in Ghana the livestock and poultry industry play a major socio-economic role in the lives of the greater proportion of the population hence the need to promote and showcase major activities that would enhance the industry.

According to him, Ghana is a net importer of live animals and animal products through border post such as Elubo, Paga, Hamile, Mognure, Tema, and Takoradi where greater measures needed to be put in place to ensure animals infected with diseases do not cross such borders without proper screening.

'Veterinary activities are to be carried out in these areas in order to prevent and control diseases transmitted by foods of animal origin to human beings,' he said.

Commending the theme for the workshop, he said it was appropriate since veterinary border control has a major role to contribute to preserve human health and prevent economic losses associated with the introduction and spread of trans-boundary animal diseases.

Dr. Tia noted that the OIE was mandated by the WTO to monitor public standards to avoid the introduction of pathogens via international trade in animal and animal products while at the same time preventing countries from applying unjustified sanitary barriers.

'The certification in relation to freedom from animal diseases including zoonoses and meat hygiene should be the responsibility of the veterinary services personnel due to the challenges faced by African products of animal origin in accessing world markets,' he said.

He therefore called for strengthening the capacities of border veterinary service officials to better ensure their vanguard role in preventing and controlling animal diseases.

The workshop brought together veterinarians in charge of veterinary border control from 15 West African countries including Cape Verde, Gambia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea and Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

By Henrietta Abayie