Introduction

In line with the Activity plans for 2015 for Tanzania under the Standard Methods and Procedures in Animal Health Project, a national SMP roll-out workshop for Tanzania was held at Royal Village hotel in Dodoma, Tanzania from 5^th to 8^th May 2015. Its main objective was to roll-out ready Standard Methods and Procedures (SMPs) for FMD, PPR, RVF and brucellosis to veterinary stakeholders within Tanzania to create awareness as a first step in the implementation of the SMPs. This introductory workshop brought together key players in animal health services from both the public and private sectors engaged in livestock and wildlife services. In addition, the workshop was envisaged to avail an opportunity for reviewing the status of delivery of animal health services in the country as well as promote local and export trade in livestock and livestock product in Tanzania. A total of 60 participants drawn from Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development at the Headquarters, Zonal Veterinary Centres, Regions and Local Government Authorities, Tanzania Veterinary Laboratory Agency, Veterinary Council of Tanzania, Tanzania National Parks, Tanzania Meat Board, AU-IBAR and IGAD attended the workshop.

In his welcome remarks, Dr Joseph Masambu, on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer, Tanzania Veterinary Laboratory Agency (TVLA), welcomed participants and Dr Joseph Magona representing AU-IBAR and the SMPAH project. He stressed the importance of the laboratory as a tool for disease surveillance and disease control. He appreciated the key benefits accruing from the project such as capacity building in disease surveillance, epidemiological investigations and reporting, laboratory management, and development of SMPs for nine priority TADs. He narrated the role of laboratories in disease surveillance and control and the role TVLA plays in the implementation of SMP-AH Project in Tanzania. He concluded by wishing all participants success.

In his remarks, Dr Joseph Magona, on behalf of the Director, AU-IBAR, Prof. Ahmed Elsawalhy, thanked the Government of Tanzania in general and Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development for organizing the SMP roll-out workshop for Tanzania. He noted the huge livestock resource in countries in the Greater Horn of Africa, including Tanzania and the challenge of transboundary animal diseases (TADs) that continues to affect livestock production and trade in the region. He stressed that the SMP roll-out workshop was intended to disseminate ready SMPs, namely, FMD, PPR, RVF and brucellosis to all national stakeholders in order to initiate implementation at national level. He hoped that all livestock stakeholders in Tanzania would embrace the implementation of the SMPs during implementation disease control programmes and regulation of trade in livestock and livestock products.

In his opening remarks, Dr Joram Mghwira, on the behalf of the Director of Veterinary Services for Tanzania, stressed the fact that the roll-out workshop was designed to create awareness among stakeholders about the SMPs before implementation. Ultimately he welcomed all participants to the workshop.

The workshop achieved the following:

• Awareness among veterinary stakeholders from public and private sectors in Tanzania engaged in livestock and wildlife on the SMP concept and SMPs created

• Individual SMPs for FMD, PPR, RVF and brucellosis disseminated to veterinary stakeholders

• Participation of Veterinary stakeholders in SMPs implementation promoted

• A feedback mechanism for the implementation of the SMPs in Tanzania developed

• Performance of animal health services delivery in Tanzania in general reviewed

• Challenges and opportunities for local and export trade in livestock and livestock products in Tanzania reviewed

Proceedings

The workshop was conducted through presentations, plenary discussion and group work. Meanwhile each participant was given a copy of the SMPs for FMD, PPR, RVF and brucellosis.

Key topics discussed

Key topics discussed included the following:

• Overview of the SMP-AH Project
• Concept of SMP & Development of SMPs
• Disease Control Part of SMPs (including Quarantine Services SMP)
• Diagnosis Component of SMPs
• Surveillance component of SMPs
• General discussion on SMPs
• Field Experiences in Controlling trade Sensitive TADS in the Zones
• Marketing Strategies and Livestock Trade in Tanzania
• Status of Veterinary Services in Tanzania
• The Role of TANLITS in Disease Surveillance
• Passive Surveillance Guidelines
• Laboratory Biorisk/Biosafety Management Manual
• Development of a feedback mechanism for the implementation of the SMPs

Developments of action points

Group work on the development of follow-up on activity implementation identified the following areas for immediate action:

1. To organize four zonal SMP roll-out workshops in Arusha, Mwanza, Kagera and Southern Highlands.
2. To organize four zonal workshops for strengthening the community disease reporting system involving Livestock owners, Private veterinarians, Field veterinary officers, District veterinary officers, Heads of Zonal Veterinary Centres and the Head of the Epidemiology Unit in Arusha, Mwanza, Kagera and Southern Highlands.
3. To organize three mobilization workshops for stakeholders for implementation of disease control programmes in cross-border areas in Arusha, Mwanza and Mbeya. This would bring together District Veterinary Officers from border districts, Livestock owners, Heads of Local Government Authorities, Private veterinarians, and Officials from the Directorate of the Veterinary Services. Lumpyskin Disease (LSD), Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) and Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP) were the priority diseases identified. The detailed action plan is appended in the annexes.

Recommendation

Upon discussion on the afore-mentioned topics and pertinent concerns arising therein, the participants recommended the following:

To AU-IBAR

• To consider supporting of the logistics for vaccination of priority TADs as well as vaccine procurement for cross-border areas under SMPAH project, given the incredible difficulties the Veterinary Services are experiencing in getting funds allocated for vaccine procurement

• To organize bilateral cross-border meeting between Tanzania and Kenya, and Tanzania and Uganda to facilitate development of bilateral agreements on export/import of livestock and livestock products across the border

To AU-IBAR and Department of Veterinary Services

• To consider lobbying for additional funding to support implementation of the SMPs especially after the end of the SMPAH project, given the late starting of the SMP roll-out for the nine TADs targeted

To Department of Veterinary Services

• To ensure that all vaccine stocks imported into Tanzania are certified by AU-PANVAC
• To consider formulating a legal framework to facilitate the implementation of the SMPs
• To consider facilitating the veterinarians at Border livestock markets with vaccines and other inputs for on-spot disease control especially on trade animals to ease issuance of movement permits
• Continue conducting risk mapping in high potential areas that supply animals to strategic markets and apply appropriate disease control measure to facilitate smooth trade
• To conduct a study to assess the status of holding facilities to facilitate rehabilitation and operationalization of such facilities
• Conduct a study to determine why traders do not comply with export regulations

To DVS, TVLA, VCT, DPM and TMB

• To use registered feedlots and ranches as pre-quarantine facilities
  

To AU-IBAR, ICPALD, TMB, DPM and LGAs

• To establish and strengthen an umbrella livestock stakeholder association for Tanzania aligned to NEALCO to promote regional and export trade in livestock and livestock products

Way forward

• To hold a national SMP implementation planning workshop by June 2015

• To hold SMP roll-out four zones workshops starting July 2015
  

  Reporting Officer	Dr. Joseph Magona
  Supporting Officers	Kennedy Onyango
  Dates of Event	5-8th May 2015
  Purpose of Mission	To roll-out ready SMPs for FMD, PPR, RVF and brucellosis to veterinary stakeholders within Tanzania to create awareness as a first step in the implementation of the SMPs
  Venue	Dodoma, Tanzania