Ethiopia Prioritizes Animal Health and Food Security at WOAH Conference

Addis Ababa: Ethiopia has been giving attention to agriculture, particularly to the improvement of animal health, food security and safety, since the beginning of the national reform, Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh said. The 26th Conference of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) Regional Commission for Africa Conference kicked off in Addis Ababa.According to Ethiopian News Agency, the conference will take place from 4-7 Feb, 2025 under the theme "Animal Health for Food Security and Public Health in Africa." Opening the conference, Ethiopia's Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh noted that Africa has not yet achieved food security despite a large livestock population.He pointed out that although Ethiopia has the largest livestock population in Africa and its population depends on agriculture, the country has not benefited much. Animal diseases and related problems have particularly hindered the sector's benefits, he added.The government has been focusing on the agricultural sector, especially livestock development, food security, and safety since the national reform, Temesgen noted. He mentioned that significant efforts have been made to expand animal treatment, vaccination, meat quality disease control, the establishment of animal quarantines, and animal testing centers.He highlighted the need for corresponding growth in agricultural production due to the rapidly growing population. The government has emphasized modern animal treatment in its Homegrown Economic Reform initiative. The Bounty of the Basket (Yelemat Trufat) Initiative has been implemented to ensure food and nutrition security, aiming to increase the production of meat, milk, chicken, eggs, honey, and fish.The government is keen on enhancing animal health to achieve the program's goals. Temesgen stated that Ethiopia has developed a policy and strategy for sustainable prevention of animal diseases. The provision of strong animal health institutions, qualified human resources, and infrastructure is an ongoing effort, he said.The deputy premier stressed the importance of countries and international institutions working together and being guided by principles to improve animal disease control and prevention capacity due to the changing and complex nature of animal diseases. He assured that Ethiopia will contribute to achieving the national, regional, and global goals set for animal health and welfare, sector productivity, and food security.Participants of the conference will discuss the prevention and control of animal diseases in Africa and facilitate dialogues to create disease-free countries. Global organizations working on food and nutrition will also share various ideas and solutions, emphasizing the importance of public health and animal health and their interconnections.