A
three-day seminar on Animal Resources Data Management Platform (ARDMP) has
ended on 28 October at Ocean Bay Hotel in Bakau.
The
forum was hosted by the Department of Livestock Services and funded by AU-IBAR
under the VET-GOV programme. It was
organised to improve animal resources data management and to support policy and
decision-making.
VET-GOV
regional coordinator Dr Heneri Kabore said the specific objective of the
seminar was to establish national platform for data management in The Gambia.
He
said the seminar was also organised to collectively identify the core data that
would be most relevant and useful for decision-making, and to strengthen
partnership and establish data management linkage and working relations between
various animal resources data sources in The Gambia.
The
forum was also geared towards developing a framework for sharing of
responsibilities between various animal resources data sources and agencies
involved in animal resources data management, and to eventually develop and
establish an MoU on animal resources data management between the core agencies
involved in data management in The Gambia.
Dr
Ernest Aubee, head of agriculture at ECOWAS Commission, said animal resources
data management is very crucial in the development of policy and programme
formulation and management.
He
said the ECOWAS Commission is committed to supporting member states in the
development of the livestock sector as part of the wider food security programme
of the ECOWAS region.
Dr
Baboucarr Jaw, chief animal health officer at AU-IBAR, said there is a need to
have strong policy support to review and update the terms of reference in line
with recommendations of the VET-LEG identification mission.
He
said there is a need to have support to update the national vet legislation
where gaps have been identified.
Dr
Jaw further indicated that there is also a need to have lab support to procure
lab equipment, and send experts to help set-up the rabies dice lab.
“The
development of the national programme for the eradication of PPR and control of
other priority small ruminant diseases is also needed,” he said.
The
deputy director general, Department of Livestock Services, Lamin Saine,
commended AU-IBAR for supporting The Gambia to establish a livestock policy hub
and animal resource data management platform.
“The
Gambia government will endeavour to see that livestock is adequately captured
in the second generation GNAIP,” he said.