(Friday 14th February 2020 Issue)
Coordinator
of WTS Vet United in The Gambia and the new designated WTS Vet United
representative in West Africa, Dr. Kebba Daffeh said education is the most
effective tool to improve animal welfare.
In
an interview with The Point following his return from a five-day animal welfare
strategy planning meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, Dr. Daffeh said WTS Vets United is
a charitable organisation that focuses on promoting animal welfare through
education. “We believe that education is the most suitable way to improve
animal welfare globally. WTS Vets United primarily works with the tertiary
institutions to help improve animal welfare.”
He
described the Nairobi meeting as a successful event that brought together
participants from all over the world who discussed the importance of animal
welfare.
According
to him some of the participants came from Rwanda, Malawi, Uganda, Liberia,
Kenya and The Gambia just to name a few.
Dr.
Daffeh said the main recommendation that emerged from the meeting was to make
sure that animal welfare is created and education awareness is intensified,
saying animal welfare improves the lives and livelihood of communities.
“This
achievement was in recognition of the work done in this country in terms of
animal welfare, which started around 2015 with a small program that was
focusing on training veterinarians and students of the University. Since then,
it is growing into a program that is now introduced at UTG and Gambia College,”
he said.
He
said after several activities advocating for animal welfare, it was later
introduced into the curriculum of both the UTG and Gambia College.
According
to him, Gambia has now trained more than eight hundred people from both UTG and
Gambia College most of who are stationed in every region of the country.
He
thanked the Department of Livestock and partners for putting in place new
regulation on animal welfare. He said although regulation has not yet been
tabled before the National Assembly, it is hoped that it will be done soon as
the country is moving fast.
