Dr Eloit Monique promised the organisation??s assistance to boost animal production in Cameroon. The Deputy Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), Dr Eloit Monique yesterday, September 29 during an audience with Prime Minister Philemon Yang promised the organisation??s assistance to veterinary services and profession in Cameroon for it is a prominent livestock breeding and fishing country in the Central African Sub-region. Dr Eloit Monique and members of her delegation to the Star Building audience are taking part in the third African Veterinary Congress
organised in Yaounde. The World Organisation for Animal Health senior official was at the Prime Minister??s Office to thank the Cameroon government for hosting the congress. Eloit Monique declared in an interview after discussions with Philemon Yang that the Yaounde veterinary congress was important as animal diseases were destroying livestock, causing lose of revenue of livestock breeders and some diseases from animal origin such as the avian flu and rabies were a major threats to human health. She said Cameroon faced less risk in avian flu as the veterinary workers were on a permanent surveillance mission working with livestock breeders?? organisations. The OIE senior official said over 300 veterinary and animal health experts from all over Africa were attending the Yaounde congress, stating that the attendance was indicative of good cohesion and understanding among countries, considering that animal diseases know no borders. As to what countries can gain from the World Organisation for Animal Health, Dr Eloit Monique said the organisation helps one another in sharing scientific knowledge, improving on the effectiveness of work, as well as help in organising and structuring of the veterinary profession to enable it answer the challenges of mastering diseases, ensuring quality of food production and fighting against poverty. This conforms to the missions of the organisation which are: to ensure transparency in the global animal disease situation; collect, analyse and disseminate veterinary scientific information; provide expertise and encourage international solidarity in the control of animal diseases. The organisation also sets out to safeguard world trade by publishing health standards for international trade in animals and animal products and to improve the legal framework and resources of national veterinary services.Emmanuel KENDEMEH, CT
