Avian Influenza Secretariat Holds Task Force Meeting
The Avian Influenza Secretariat under the Ministry of Agriculture charged with the responsibility to provide protection for our livestock and put in place preventive measures for the outbreak of disease caused by birds example avian flu, held a task force meeting on Thursday 3rd June at the Ministry of Agriculture Conference hall Youyi building Freetown. The purpose of the meeting was to look at the status report on SPINAP/AH1 activities on Animal and Pandemic influenza issues in the country.
Making his presentation Mr. Sorie M. Kamara, Director of Livestock Services at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security disclosed that the 7th International Ministerial Conference on Animal and Pandemic Influenza convened in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 1921 April 2010 and hosted by the government of Vietnam, in coordination with the European Union and the United States of America with the support of the UN system influenza coordination and international organizations. He said the international community is quite concerned about the catastrophe that may occur as a result of full blown influenza pandemic outbreak as it had before this time resulted in the death of millions of human populations.
Citing the Spanish flu of 1918 he noted that between 20 and 40 millions deaths were recorded and that the Asian flu of 1957 2–4 million deaths whilst the Hong Kong flu of 1968 2–4 million deaths. He however noted that 14 countries have reported outbreak of H5N1 HPA1 in domestic poultry.
These outbreaks have resulted in substantial economic loses in the agriculture and livestock industry. The continued circulation of the virus poses a threat to animal and human health. Dr. Kamara noted that Sierra Leone through the Avian Influenza Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Food Security has been under taking series of activities which he said are; the establishment of regional Avian and Human Influenza Task force later reconstituted into District Avian and Human Influenza Forces.
Training workshops for 100 staff of the Livestock Division on Trans – boundary Animal Diseases with special reference to avian influenza, workshop for 25 Wild life personnel to enable them monitor wild birds and collect wild bird specimens for the attention of the veterinary services.
Workshop for the 120 public health workers of the ministry of Health and Sanitation to equip them with public health knowledge on surveillance, prevention and control of HPA1. Making the next presentation, Dr. J.E.D. Terry who talks about the Epidemic Surveillance Network of Animal Diseases in Sierra Leone (ENADIS); saying that the surveillance of epidemiou diseases is to detect any resurgence and/ or reintroduction of any disease already eradicated in Sierra Leone placed under surveillance example he said reinderpest. To detect any new introduction of diseases, e.g. swine fever. Dr. Terry added that the goal of the epidemiou surveillance is to identify early detection of diseases and the production animal health information that can be utilized by decision makers. As the objectives of survey is early detection and rapid response. The ultimate goal of the disease prevention is the control of diseases or the elimination of diseases. Some of diseases under the surveillance are: Reinderpest, pest des petit Ruminants, AHP1, Newcastle disease, Hemorrhagic septicemia (or pesteurellisis Anthrox Blackley and the likes.
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