The workshop underscored several key recommendations for advancing the ISAVET Programme

Abuja - The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), through its  Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), hosted a workshop to assess the implementation status, model, and prospects of the Front-line In-Service Applied Veterinary Epidemiology (ISAVET) Programme in West and Central Africa.

This three-day event brought together stakeholders from 13 countries, including ISAVET National Coordinators from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone to review progress, share lessons learned, and strategize on sustainable future actions. Other participants included FAO ECTAD country office representatives and regional staff, regional organizations such as the Regional Animal Health Center of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS/RAHC) and a USAID representative.

The ISAVET Programme, developed through collaboration between FAO and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), aims to enhance veterinary human resource capacities for effective disease management. Since its pilot phase (2018–2019), which included regional trainings and curriculum development, the programme has expanded to 23 African countries. With a focus on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, the initiative supports the GHSA’s Human Resource Development Action Package, the World Health Organization’s Joint External Evaluation, and the World Organisation of Animal Health’s capacity-building efforts.

Workshop Recap: ISAVET Programme in West and Central Africa

During the event, participants discussed the experiences, results, and challenges faced during the ongoing implementation of the ISAVET programme. The group revisited and assessed the recommendations made in the 2023 workshop and explored strategies for establishing sustainable and nationally owned ISAVET programmes.

While declaring the event open, the  Director Veterinary Services, Dr. Musa Inuwa, representing  Nigeria’s Minister of State Agriculture and Food Security Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the “programme has provided a robust epidemiological workforce that is critical to disease monitoring, outbreak investigation and data collection at the grass roots level”.

The ISAVET programme builds workforce field epidemiology capacity, to improve surveillance and response to health security threats tailored to country needs”, said Tofiq Braimah, who represented the FAO Representative in Nigeria.

“Strengthening field epidemiology capacity is crucial for effective disease surveillance and response,” noted Mr. Boka Marcel Ohoukou, FAO ECTAD West and Central Africa Regional Epidemiologist. “This workshop provided a valuable opportunity to evaluate our progress, share successful strategies, and ensure that ISAVET programmes are sustainable and impactful across West and Central Africa.”

From the representative of ECOWAS RAHC “The ISAVET Programme has been a cornerstone in strengthening veterinary services across our region. It has provided frontline veterinarians with the skills and knowledge to detect, prevent, and respond efficiently to animal health threats. As we all know, the health of our livestock is crucial to our economies, the health of our communities, and the safety of our food supply”.

Recommendations

The workshop highlighted several crucial recommendations for advancing the ISAVET Programme. It emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration and resource-sharing among countries to address common challenges and leverage regional expertise more effectively. Tailored action plans were deemed essential to overcome specific gaps and constraints in the programme’s implementation.

Participants stressed that national ownership is vital for the programme’s long-term sustainability and impact. Strengthening community-level engagement was also identified as key to effectively implementing the One Health approach and improving local disease management practices.

For more information:

David Tsokar

FAO Nigeria, Communications Specialist

E-mail : [email protected]  

Yanira Santana

FAO ECTAD Africa, Emergency Reporting and Outreach Specialist