São Tomé prepares plan against peste des petits ruminants
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Telanon
São Tomé and Príncipe is preparing a national contingency plan against peste des petits ruminants, absent from the archipelago but spreading in West and Central Africa. The plan is intended to strengthen surveillance, biosecurity and the veterinary response, with support from the African Union’s Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources, according to Telanon.
São Tomé and Príncipe is preparing a national contingency plan against peste des petits ruminants, with support from the African Union, to organise surveillance, prevention and a response to any possible introduction of the disease to the archipelago, Telanon reports. The disease, which affects goats and sheep, is absent from the country, but its spread from Ivory Coast to several countries in Central and West Africa has put the authorities on alert.
The plan is being drawn up at a three-day technical workshop bringing together national and international specialists. Alfredo da Mata, a veterinarian and head of the animal health department at the Directorate of Livestock, warned that risk factors could facilitate the disease’s arrival. The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, Nilton Garrido, called for stronger epidemiological surveillance, biosecurity on farms and health checks at borders, as well as more resources for veterinary services.
The African Union’s support is provided through its Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources. The authorities describe the protection of animal health as an issue affecting rural families’ incomes and the country’s food security.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
