FAO, ECOWAS join forces to tackle deadly Avian Influenza

 The consultation, which was held at the ECOWAS Secretariat aimed at improving regional coordination and synergies for immediate and effective prevention and control of HPAI in West and Central Africa.Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr Louise Setshwaelo, FAO representative in Nigeria, lamented that the re-introduction of H5N1- HPAI in Nigeria at the end of 2014 […]

 The consultation, which was held at the ECOWAS Secretariat aimed at improving regional coordination and synergies for immediate and effective prevention and control of HPAI in West and Central Africa.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr Louise Setshwaelo, FAO representative in Nigeria, lamented that the re-introduction of H5N1- HPAI in Nigeria at the end of 2014 and subsequent occurrence in Burkina Faso, Niger, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, destroyed many farms and was of great concern to the global community.
 Dr.  Setshwaelo noted that poultry is one of the sectors growing rapidly in West Africa in recent years, adding that the sector has grown from 290 million birds in 2000 to 555 million in 2013 representing a growth rate of 90%.
 In her address, Dr Vivian Iwar, Head of the Livestock Division of the ECOWAS Commission, said the ECOWAS facilitated the meeting to fashion out short and medium term action plans to coordinate joint actions, existing gaps in regional and countries’ preparedness and response plans to fight the disease.
 Also speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Arch. Sonny Echono, represented by the Chief Veterinarian of Nigeria, Dr Abdulganiu Abubakar, stressed that the outbreaks of bird flu between February 2006 to July 2008 in Nigeria killed 755,929 chickens; 1,264,371 birds were depopulated; while N6.9 million was paid as compensation to 3,037 farmers across 25 states and the FCT.