Amid reports that 75perpent of emerging and re-emerging human diseases are of animal origin, the President Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association Dr Moses Arokoyo has warned that exclusion of the Veterinary Council from the national health regulators portends looming danger for the Nigeria population.
Arokoyo in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja noted that zoonoses have become a global focal point, hence preventive medicine is no longer complete nor comprehensive without the inclusion or proper placement of veterinarians in Public health.
He stated that the decision to exclude the Veterinary Council of Nigeria from the national health regulators is ill-advised and will have a far-reaching and devastating effect, “simply put, it poses a National public health risk to the over 200 million Nigerian lives”, he stated
The Veterinarian warned that the decision will negate efforts of the veterinary community in the fight against fake drug usage in animals without regard for withdrawal time.” It also means increased consumption of meat ladden with drug residues by the human population, leading to increased incidence of cancer cases, as well as antimicrobial resistance and ultimately increased deaths.”
It is estimated that over 10 million lives could be lost annually to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by 2050.
He wondered “How do we prevent and control these, in addition to resurgence of zoonotic diseases without Government support?
The combined effort of medical professionals and Veterinarians is a more assured approach to safeguard the health and lives of Nigerians.”
He pointed out that the world is a global village and One-Health is the global approach to Public Health, Nigeria cannot exempt itself from the One-Health approach.
Arokoyo recalled that the last outbreak of Anthrax should not be forgotten in a hurry, as the early detection and prompt response from Veterinary Council-certified Veterinarians was largely responsible for mitigation of spread of the deadly zoonotic disease.
He added that the COVID-19 pandemic left a sour taste in all of our mouths as the livestock industry went comatose, and till date the multi-trilion naira poultry industry which employs an estimated 5 million Nigerians directly and 25 million indirectly is yet to recover from the cumulative effect of this, high cost of raw materials, Avian Influenza among others
He warned that if the Federal Government allows non-regulation in the veterinary space, it will weaken the animal health sector further, especially at this time when it should be strengthened to ensure adequate food security.
While mentioning that the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association strongly believes in Mr President’s “Renewed Hope Agenda”, he feared that the move may not be in tandem with it and in the spirit of One- Health and strongly advocate that the Veterinary Council of Nigeria be included among the national health regulators to be considered for funding to safeguard public health.
