By Adedapo Adesanya
The Kwara State Government has called for collaboration among stakeholders in tackling outbreak of animal diseases in the state.
Mr Muritala Olarewaju, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, made the call on Saturday in Ilorin while declaring open a stakeholders sensitisation workshop on Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) outbreak.
The workshop, which had in attendance stakeholders in livestock business and veterinary medical officers, was organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in conjunction with its state counterpart.
Mr Olarewaju said some disease containment equipment were distributed to the ministry’s veterinary field officers to enhance service delivery in addition to various training programmes and gave an assurance of the administration’s commitment to the well being of livestock in the state.
Delivering his address, the Chairman of the Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) in the state, Mr Saka Shittu, described RHD as a highly infectious disease with high mortality rate affecting several breeds of rabbits.
He said the workshop was aimed at sensitising livestock farmers, especially in the rabbit business, on how to prevent the spread of the disease and measures to be taken to contain an outbreak in the state.
In his remarks, the Director of Veterinary Services in the state, Mr Halleed Ibrahim, affirmed that RHD was first discovered in the state, noting that the disease had also been detected in neighbouring Oyo State.
“Our level of alertness made it possible to detect the disease earlier.
“It might have occurred in other states of the federation without being noticed, this testifies to the quality and proactiveness of the personnel in the state,” he said.
The Director, who was represented by the Unit Head, Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, Mr Olugbon Suleiman, commended the Federal Government and the state government for the support on disease surveillance and prevention.
He confirmed that veterinary field officers in the ministry received disease containment equipment such as bio-security kits, antiviral solution, disinfectants as well as tricycles, motorcycles and motorised sprayers.
