West African animal health officials gathered in Lomé on Tuesday for the 11th annual meeting of the region’s animal health networks to adopt new tools against transboundary animal diseases.
The meeting, held under the theme “Strengthening the Surveillance and Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases in the ECOWAS Region,” was opened by the Resident Representative of the ECOWAS Commission in Togo, Ms. Deweh Emily Gray, who said the choice of theme reflected ECOWAS’s commitment to protecting animal resources, supporting the economic development of member states, and promoting regional integration.
Ms. Gray described livestock farming as a vital component of West Africa’s agricultural economy, noting its contribution to food and nutritional security and its role as a source of income for local populations.
She said the sector remains exposed to persistent and re-emerging threats from transboundary animal diseases, naming Small Ruminant Peste (SRP), Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Avian Influenza, and Rabies.
Speaking on behalf of the Togolese Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food Sovereignty, the minister’s Chief of Staff, Dindiogue Konlani, said no country could succeed alone against such health threats.
“The fight against animal diseases is, by its very nature, a matter of solidarity and collective action,” he said.
Both Mr. Konlani and Ms. Gray urged participants to engage in discussions that would produce recommendations for further strengthening the surveillance and control of epizootics.
The representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Lionel Gbaguidi, and the director of the African Union’s Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-BIRA), Dr. Huyam Salih, expressed gratitude to ECOWAS and the Regional Animal Health Center (CRSA) for what they described as consistent leadership in promoting regional cooperation on animal health.
Dr. Salih was represented by the Regional Coordinator for the Control and Eradication of Small Ruminant Peste in West Africa, Dr. Perdita Hilary Lopes.
They reiterated their commitment to working with ECOWAS, its member states, and regional institutions to strengthen coordinated action against transboundary animal diseases, support veterinary laboratories, and develop information systems capable of providing reliable data for rapid and coordinated decision-making.
The stated objectives of the meeting are to consolidate regional animal health governance, strengthen coordination among stakeholders, and adopt strategic and operational tools for the prevention, early detection, and control of transboundary animal diseases.
Participants include heads of veterinary services, presidents of national veterinary associations, and focal points for the regional networks of animal health laboratories (RESOLAB) and epidemiological surveillance (RESEPI) from ECOWAS and Sahel member states.
Representatives from the Regional Animal Health Center (CRSA), the West African Health Organization (OOAS), and the ECOWAS Regional Disease Control Center, as well as technical and financial partners, are also taking part.
A specific item on the agenda is the review and adoption of the electronic platform of the Regional Animal Health Information System (SRISA), developed by the CRSA to improve the collection, analysis, sharing, and use of animal health data for rapid and coordinated decision-making.
On the sidelines of the meeting, a gathering of ECOWAS ministers responsible for animal health will be held to approve regional strategies for the protection and conservation of donkeys by 2030, for the prevention and control of foot-and-mouth disease in West Africa (2026–2030), and for the prevention and control of highly pathogenic avian influenza and related action plans (2026–2031).
The annual meeting is organized by the Regional Animal Health Center (RAHC), a specialized agency of the ECOWAS Commission. Originally based in Bamako, Mali, it is now located in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
Established in 2012, the CRSA is responsible for strengthening regional cooperation on animal health and welfare, with a primary mission to coordinate and harmonize the policies and interventions of ECOWAS member states in the prevention and control of transboundary animal diseases and zoonoses.
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