Sub-Regional training on poultry pathology opens

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Kalifa Kambi on Monday, presided over the opening ceremony of a five-day sub-regional training workshop on poultry pathology for enhanced diagnosis of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza.

Organised by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Animal Plant Health Institution and Inspection Services (APHIS), at the Kairaba Beach Hotel, the training brought together veterinarians from seven countries in West Africa namely, The Gambia, Sierra-Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and Mali.

Noting that Avian Influenza has not been reported in The Gambia, he said the disease has already been reported in 11 African countries, most of them in the West African sub-region

He pointed out that Avian Influenza poses a real threat to the lives and livelihoods of millions of people around the world, to the economy and human health. He thanked the donors for funding the event and urged participants to take the training seriously.

Delivering a statement at the occasion, the American Ambassador to The Gambia Barry Wells said Avian Influenza has been a recognised poultry disease that plagues commercial poultry operations and rural communities for centuries.

"This bird virus continues to cause poor production and economic losses around the world," he said.

He added that the objectives of the workshop are to provide a refresher course on economically important poultry diseases and their distinctive morphological features, which in turn would help in differential diagnosis and rapid control actions in the field.