Antigua & Barbuda participated in WOAH Meeting held in Mexico

  Dr. Chere Kellman, veterinarian attached to the Veterinary and Livestock Division of the Ministry of Agriculture attended two workshops in Mexico.  The first took place from 17th to 19th April and was pertaining to a training for the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) delegates and National Focal Points for the Wildlife Sixth Cycle – Regional Workshop for the Americas Region. This was followed by a second meeting of the Global Framework for the progressive control on Transboundary Animal Diseases (GF-TADs) from 19th to 21st April.

  • The WOAH meeting included
  • Brief History of the WOAH National Focal Point Programme and Terms of Reference of National Focal Points for Wildlife;
  • Recent WOAH activities related to One Health and biodiversity, with an emphasis on wildlife health, around the globe and in the Americas – including the last UN COP 15, Montreal, Canada;
  • Wildlife Health Activities at WOAH;
  • Wildlife Working Group Activities at WOAH: Introduction, current and Future Activities;
  • Avian Influenza and Wildlife: Risk Management for People working with wild animals;
  • Wildlife Working Group Activities at WOAH: Introduction, current and Future Activities Avian Influenza and Wildlife: Risk Management for People working with wild animals;
  • General principles of disease management and control in wildlife;
  • Drivers of wildlife disease and its management based on drivers.

OUTCOME

Draft proposal of the regional key activities in Wildlife

  • The GF-TADs meeting aimed to (according to the organizers)
  • Provide information on existing global and regional platforms, programs, and action plans
  • Present the global and regional situation of Avian Influenza
  • Discuss national strategies and management options applied in the Americas, focusing on surveillance, prevention, emergency preparedness and response.
  • Discuss the safe trade of poultry, wild birds, and their products through the implementation of the WOAH standards.
  • Identify main topics and priorities for the development of a regional framework for the prevention and control of disease in the Americas.

Approach and expected outputs.

A short briefing on the epidemiological situation shall be presented, focusing on findings in different relevant wildlife animal species. In addition, ongoing initiatives at the global and regional levels to promote national activities integration in different frameworks will be presented, as well as updated information on laboratory capacities, the impact of the disease on trade, and vaccinations.

Dr. Kellman expressed that both meetings were very important and was grateful that Antigua and Barbuda was allowed to attend and participate.  Other countries from this region that were present were Barbados, Cuba, Haiti, St. Lucia, Santa Domingo, St. Vincent and Trinidad.

At the WOAH meeting, she realized that each country had their own dilemma pertaining to wildlife and livestock and the solution applicable to one would not suffice for the other.  However, solutions used to mitigate these situations and to ascertain the desired results were shared.  Additionally, revealed was very interesting and concerning facts pertaining to the “Vampire Bats”.  “We learned from our Cuban counterpart that there is evidence that suggests vampire bats migrate to other islands in the archipelago.  This is a serious concern because these mammals are carriers of the vector that causes “Rabies” and other diseases”, Dr. Kellman saidSome felt that vaccination of the mammals would be unavoidable others queried the possibility of the process for this to be achieved.

With regards to the second meeting which focused mainly on “Avian Flu”, It was felt that more monitoring on migratory birds should be implemented and some feared that the Caribbean was at more risk.  “Migratory birds can expose our local and domesticated birds to this and other diseases therefore, we need to engage in more surveillance and maintain a proper of our database of our avian friends”, stated Dr. Kellman.  She felt that these meetings were very timely and informative.