IGAD Center for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development (ICPALD), through financial support of BORESHA project being implemented by Danish Refugee Council with funds from the EU- Trust financed the development of a draft information sharing protocol on cross-border animal health and sanitary measures between Ethiopia and Kenya. This was a follow up to operationalize the signed cross border MoU between the two countries.

Dr. Obadiah Njagi, the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) of Kenya and OIE delegate, opened the three days validation workshop. He reminded participants of how important it is to share real time information on cross border disease incidences. This helps a neighbor country to adequately prepare to prevent an entry of a trans boundary animal disease in the event of an outbreak in cross border area. Otherwise, if the OIE notifiable disease reporting pathway is followed, information about a disease outbreak in a neighboring country may be received after six months from the time of the outbreak. In such a case, the disease will have spread  or contained. Therefore, real time information sharing on animal health and sanitary measures between our two countries (Ethiopia and Kenya) is very important to put in place effective prevention and control measures of TADs to ensure continuous cross border trade and livestock exports from the IGAD region. Remarks were made by Dr. Wamalwa Kinyanjui on behalf of the Director of ICPALD, Nicoletta Buono  on behalf of BORESHA project and Dr Sehelu Mulu on behalf of the CVO, Ethiopia. Finally the meeting made the following recommendations;

1. Create more awareness about the MOU and the information sharing Protocol at all levels (National and County) emphasizing value of cross border animal health information sharing in disease prevention and control.
2. ICPALD to facilitate the signing of the animal health information sharing Protocol by the two CVOs and the nomination of county Director of veterinary services (CDVS) and Zonal veterinary officers as coordinators for information sharing protocol per each cross-border.
3. Joint steering committee and multi-disciplinary technical committee (JSC/ MTC ) and ICPALD should mobilize financial resources from potential development partners and the respective governments to enhance cross-border information sharing.
4. CDVS/ Zonal/ Woreda animal health officers to undertake mapping of infrastructure capacity (human, physical) along the common border in terms of current status, functionality and gaps to inform any intended support,
5. ICPALD to promote documentation of lessons and processes during implementation of the animal health information sharing Protocol for replication in other IGAD cross border areas.

ICPALD expresses its appreciation to BORESHA project with financial support from the EU-Trust fund for financing this activity.