• FAO said the Covid-19 pandemic has underlined the need for greater vigilance, and the world must be alert to new threats from animal diseases.
• The World Health Organisation reported that as of February 4, 2021, there were a total of 32 human cases (14 confirmed positive) and 11 deaths.
Image: FILE
The Food and Agriculture Organisation has launched a global animal disease information system to enable countries to improve intelligence, forecasting and early warning of disease spread and risk of new outbreaks.
FAO said the Covid-19 pandemic has underlined the need for greater vigilance, and the world must be alert to new threats from animal diseases.
In Kenya, there were reports of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in humans in Isiolo and Mandera counties and in animals in Isiolo, Mandera, Murang’a and Garissa counties.
The World Health Organisation reported that as of February 4, 2021, there were a total of 32 human cases (14 confirmed positive) and 11 deaths.
WHO risk assessment showed that RVF outbreaks are recurrent in Kenya and there have been several RVF outbreaks in the past (1998, 2006-2007, 2014, 2018).
On July 6, the world marked Zoonosis Day aimed at raising awareness on diseases that can spread between animals and people.
Dr Ronald Sang a veterinary surgeon at Kenya Network for Dissemination of Agricultural Technologies (KENDAT) said there are many zoonotic diseases that continue to pose a threat to the population and thus their control and prevention is crucial.
“In Kenya, zoonotic diseases are still posing a serious challenge to the population. Outbreaks of rabies and anthrax are still reported every other time in different parts of the country. But the country has however made tremendous steps in combating these challenge and this began by the setting up of zoonotic disease unit which was necessitated by many outbreaks between 2006 and 2010,” he said.
STRENGTHEN SECTOR
QU Dongyu FAO Director-General said there is a need to prioritise and strengthen the animal health sector.
“Strong international and national animal health systems are key to prevent diseases, ensure safe and nutritious food, and protect farmers’ interests,” he said during the virtual launch of the EMPRES-i+ system.
The new web-based system will better support countries in identifying and mitigating serious animal disease threats, Qu said, noting that the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the challenges and importance of early warning.
“The system will help users to easily identify disease events and trends. Moreover, it will also help countries to plan their disease control approaches and target interventions. It has a forecasting and early warning functions that allow countries to monitor disease spreading and the risk of new outbreaks. From this function, countries will be able to prepare for possible disease outbreaks early in advance,” said Dongyu.
He said the African Swine Fever is among the major current animal diseases threatening food security and livelihoods. The disease has led to losses of between $55 billion to $130 billion.
“The new EMPRES-i+ underlines the value of early warning information systems for improving lives and livelihoods. But this can only be achieved through collective information sharing and early action,” he said.
Edited by D Tarus