The Women in Poultry Value Chain (WIPVaC), has called for the speedy implementation of the Economic Community of West African States’ Veterinary Pharmacy Protocol in Ghana.
The group, which is an umbrella organization of women in the poultry value chain, believes that supporting the implementation of the ECOWAS Veterinary Pharmaceutical Protocol will allow Ghana’s livestock sector players to boost their operations.
The National President of the group, Victoria Norgbey, told Citi Business News government’s agricultural productivity programs such as the Rearing for Food and Jobs stand to increase its impact if the protocol is implemented.
“As a pharmaceutical organization we are interested in the implementation of the ECOWAS Veterinary Pharmaceutical Protocol because of the benefits that it carries for us as farmers, and for all of us as humans because we believe that animal health is human health and so if the protocol is implemented, it will benefit us as farmers as well” she explained.
“Animal health is human health; hence the speedy implementation of the protocol is paramount to the health of consumers and the time is now,” she added.
She explained that as the world is increasingly inter-connected, emerging and re-emerging animal diseases in one country can potentially constitute a threat to global health security, and therefore the lack of appropriate policy response mechanisms makes the sector vulnerable to morbidity and mortality, and puts pressure on health systems.
The protocols
During its Sixty Fifth Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers held in 2010, the ECOWAS created and set rules, establishing Community Procedures for Management of Veterinary Drugs and Biologicals.
The directive known as Directive C/DIR. 1/11/10 on ECOWAS Veterinary Pharmacy and Regulation C/REG 22/11/10 appreciates the fact that handling of veterinary drugs and biological issues is not homogenous in the region, hence the need to harmonise legislations and regulations in the region to properly address animal production and health challenges.
Some countries in the ECOWAS Sub-Region have gazetted the harmonised and implemented the regulations on Veterinary drugs and biologicals quality control.
Seven countries in the Sub-Region have gazetted the harmonized regulations on Veterinary drugs and biologicals quality control.
These countries are Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo. In the meantime, three other countries are in the process of gazetting the harmonized regulations and these are The Gambia, Niger and Ghana.
The Protocol was presented to the Parliament of Ghana on the 13th June 2017 and was Ratified on 1st February 2018.
Parliament adopted the resolution to ratify Regulation C/REG. 22/11/10 and Directive C/DIR. 1/11/10 on February 1, 2018, but implementation has since delayed due to key recommendations made by Parliament to be carried out, including the enactment and/or update of animal production and veterinary laws to align with the protocol.
Benefits of speedy implementation
Mrs. Norgbey explained that speedy and effective implementation of this protocol is critical because it will safeguard the interest of livestock farmers, veterinary authorities and the general public against adulteration, misleading claims and inappropriate use of veterinary products as well as facilitate inter and intra-state trade in veterinary drugs and biologicals through implementation of principles and rules mutually agreed at sub-regional level to dismantle trade barriers.
She added that it will also help facilitate local production of quality veterinary drugs and biologicals, facilitate timely and convenient access by livestock farmers and veterinary authorities to quality veterinary drugs and biologicals, and encourage private investment in the veterinary drugs and biologics industry
