The UK Government through its Animal Health System Strengthening (AHSS) project, has donated fifteen thousand (15,000) doses of rabies vaccines, laboratory equipment and consumables to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA).
The donation coincided with the World Veterinary Day commemoration and was in fulfilment of a pledge made last September during the celebration of the World Rabies Day, to support Ghana’s vision to eliminate human deaths from dog- mediated rabies by the year 2030.
At a brief ceremony to hand over the vaccines and laboratory equipment, the Development Director of the British High Commission in Accra, Richard Sandall, commended MoFA for their crucial role in preventing and controlling known and emerging animal diseases and largely protecting public health in the country.
He said Ghana was one of UK’s longest standing and strongest partners in Africa and the AHSS project was a shining example of the strong partnership between the two countries around development and science.
The donation, as he revealed, formed part of UK’s comprehensive package to strengthening strong animal health system.
The intervention, he said would help integrate animal health systems into Ghana’s overall health security framework.
He was particularly pleased to know that the vaccinations would target rural areas, where households were most exposed to bites from unvaccinated dogs.
Mr Sandall assured the government of Ghana of continuous support to with UK assistance to build a resilient animal health system.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, the Chief Director of the Ministry, Mr Paul Siameh, thanked the UK Government for the kind gesture.
He said the UK Defra AHSS project had come at an opportune time to strengthen Ghana’s animal health system adding that the ministry, through the Veterinary Services (VSD) had started reaping its positive benefits.
Mr Siameh gave an assurance of the productive utilisation of the resources, to enable the country to eliminate human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030.
The UK Defra AHSS Ghana National Lead, Dr William Kuma Adu, said in Ghana, between 2021 and 2023, seventy-two (72) people unfortunately lost their lives due to rabies.
He said Veterinarians played a critical role in safeguarding animal health, which directly translated to human well-being, and it was in that vein that the project intervened to ensure the Veterinary Services Directorate is well positioned to strengthened Ghana’s animal health system.
Also in attendance were Dr Emmanuel Allegye-Cudjoe, the Chief Veterinary Officer of the Veterinary Services Directorate; Enyonam Azumah, the Human Development Team Lead of the British High Commission in Accra, and Mr. Victus Sabutey, the Senior Animal Health Senior Project Officer, Defra AHSS Project at the British High Commission, Accra.
The Animal Health Systems Strengthening (AHSS) project in Ghana, is part of a flagship Official Development Assistance (ODA) funded bilateral technical partnership between the United Kingdom’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and countries in Africa, including Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia and The Gambia.
It complements efforts made by national government and other key stakeholders to achieve SD Goals 1, 2 and 3 (Zero Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Wellbeing) and other high level strategic objectives including the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063, and zero by 2030: The global strategic plan to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030.
In Ghana, AHSS is focused on seven key strategic pillars, guided by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) framework, and informed by the country needs.
This includes strengthening animal health laboratory systems; improving surveillance and early detection of diseases; broadening the application of disease control measures; improving knowledge of bee health and honey; strengthening inter-sectoral coordination and collaboration; enhancing emergency preparedness; and strengthening aquatic animal health.
GNA