ICPALD/IGAD and AUIBAR jointly organized two steering committees’ meeting back to back from DEC 4-5, 2014 in Naivasha, Kenya to review project progress reports including technical and financial reports, approve recommendations, work plans and budgets and provide guidance to strengthen coordination and information sharing with complementary interventions in the region. The two projects are Standard Methods and Procedures in Animal Heath (SMP-AH) and Improving Animal Disease Surveillance in Support of Livestock Trade (STSD) financed by USAID and EU respectively.
The meetings were opened by Thomas Dr. Dulu Deputy Director of Veterinary Services, Kenya Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and the welcoming speeches were made by Prof. Ahmed , Director AUIBAR and Dr. Solomon Munyua, ICPALD Ag. Director. The participants were Directors of Veterinary services in IGAD member states, representatives of export quarantines, private sector including the regional traders association (NEALCO), technical partners such as FAO, OIE and ILRI, USAID, AUIBAR and IGAD/ICPALD.
The steering committees evaluated and approved the progress reports and work plans of the two projects for the next six months and provided some recommendations for follow up. The main recommendations provided by the 4th SMP steering committee meeting were that member states (MS) to streamline the SMPs into their national animal health programs and to this effects the CVOs shall issue the necessary instrument (circular) to all stakeholders dealing with animal health; to facilitate the operationalization & ensure a sustainable uptake of SMPs, participants recommend to estimate the cost for implementation of SMPs and in order to strengthen and concretize the ongoing cross-border activities, participants recommend to IGAD Secretariat to engage MS and develop MoUs.
The main recommendations by the 2nd STSD steering committee meeting were to provide support to member states with inadequate technical capacity in order to ensure smooth implementation and sustain the gains that will be achieved through implementation of the project, MS to fast track undertaking of awareness creation activity by providing the necessary feedback on the communication materials produced for the same purpose; training programs organized in the region through different projects should follow a structured curriculum and implemented in a coordinated manner and that AUIABR and ICPALD should continue to support and encourage MS in utilization of ARIS II for surveillance and reporting purposes.
ICPALD/IGAD and AU-IBAR are grateful to USAID and EU for financing this event through SMP-AH and the STSD project respectively.
