Do not mention avian influenza or bird flu to a poultry farmer. It is a nemesis across Africa. In 2006, Nigeria was only able to control the spread of the disease by destroying virtually all poultry farms in the country. Apart from the huge economic loss, the Nigerian government spent millions of naira in compensation to the farm owners. The disease is still causing problems.
Help has come from the Africa Union (AU), which seems to be leading an all-out war on bird flu. The Union organised a regional workshop at the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) Vom, Jos to build the capacity of each country to diagnose and treat the disease.
As Dr. Chris Nwapa put it, “African countries and its governments have identified bird flu as one disease that has the capacity to ravaged the lives of birds, humans and African economy if not eradicated soon.”
That was why veterinary experts of AU nations assembled in Jos, the Plateau State capital, to discuss how to eradicate the disease from the continent.
The four-day regional workshop was sponsored by the AU and implemented by AU-Pan African Veterinary Vaccine Centre (AU-PANVAC) And AU-Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).
The Director, AU-Pan African Veterinary Vaccine Centre (AU-PANVAC) Dr. Nick Nwaikpa said, “The highly pathogenic avian influenza otherwise known as HPAI has the capacity to cause significant impact on the economy and livelihood of livestock farmers and also cause fatal diseases in humans leading to considerable apprehension that the virus may mutate into a strain capable of sustained human to human transmission.
“The greater concern however presently is on the impact of avian influenza on the highly diverse poultry industries in affected countries.
“In response to this, the Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) in collaboration with the Pan African Veterinary Vaccine Center (AU-PANVAC) in implementing control strategies which has so far focused on creating greater awareness for the disease, building capacity for its diagnoses, implementing prevention and eradication measures in poultry population, where millions of birds have been culled in Africa.
“This training fulfils one of the major mandates of PANVAC which is the provision of technical assistance and training in the diagnosis of animal diseases control and surveillance.
“Poultry whose care is provided primarily by women is an important component of livestock and also a vital component of the economic development of the African continent. They play a very important role in the fight against poverty and therefore it is important to maintain them in good and healthy condition.
“I cannot emphasise the importance of poultry to Africa’s economic development. Poultry serves as a form of saving for poor people and as generators of employment right from the farm level to animal product processing and distribution ventures. Livestock plays important roles in the health of the rural poor and in this regard increasing livestock production is essential to poverty alleviation, improvement of livelihood and food security in Africa.”
In recognition of the critical role livestock plays in the improvement of livelihood of the rural communities, African ministers of agriculture specifically requested that the livestock sub-sector be given adequate attention within the “New
Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) initiative. This has led to the development of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) which is presently spearheading the acceleration of agricultural development in Africa.
“Eliminating the current scourge of bird flu which is still ravaging some parts of Africa is seen as the key to poverty reduction and building resilience in the Africa’s most vulnerable countries and should directly benefit the livelihood of millions of livestock farmers and smallholders.
“It is my sincere hope that this training workshop will be an important milestone in providing the support to building the necessary capacity for the prompt diagnosis and implementing strategies for the elimination of avian influenza”
Earlier in an opening remark, the director AU Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) Prof Ahmed Elsawalhy, who was represented by Annie Lewa said Africa must join other part of the world in the fight for the eradication of avian influenza.
