May 12, 2006

New animal health initiatives in Africa

New animal health initiatives have been launched in Africa following a recent meeting in Mali between the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources of the African Union (IBAR).

Delegates from the World Bank, EU and the Bank of African Development were also present at the meeting.

OIE, FAO and IBAR will set up Regional Animal Health Centers to carry out new programmes for improving animal health in Africa and curbing bird flu. The centres will coordinate programmes in accordance with initiatives supported by ALive.

The meeting also stressed the importance for the 32 Pan African Programme of the Control of Epizootics (PACE) member-countries to mobilise veterinary networks against bird flu in the region.

In addition, a FAO/OIE Regional Steering Committee of the Global Framework for the Progressive Control of Trans-boundary Animal Diseases was set up for Africa to control the region's animal diseases.