'Re-emergency of animal diseases serious threat to livestock industry'

Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) Director General Hiiti Sillo

 The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development has cautioned over the re-emergence of animal diseases which threaten the country’s efforts to exploit the largest part of endowed livestock resources.

 

The Veterinary Services Director in ministry, Abdu Hayghaimo made the remark at the ongoing 4th Global Animal Health Conference (GAHC) held in Dar es Salaam, the conference drawn animal experts from 34 countries.

 

He said the country had animals and poultry which were capable of producing 1 million metric tonnes of meat, 3.9 million metric tonnes of milk and 7.4billion eggs per year.

 

“I note with appreciation for the initiatives being taken by the Global Animal Health to promote the programme aimed at improving availability of high quality, safe and efficacious products on the African markets and Tanzania in particular in East Africa,” he said.

 

He said “it is important to both the animal medicines industry and the regulatory agencies charged by their respective governments to provide oversight, that we make safe, quality and effective animal medicinal products available as rapidly as possible, and that we monitor those products already on the markets to identify any problems and take remedial actions”.

 

Speaking on the GAHC, Hayghaimo said participants will discuss how to promote market control, improve market access, foster system for mutual recognition and how to implement African regional harmonised regulatory system for veterinary medicines in accordance with international standard and guidelines for veterinary medicines.

 

Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) Director General Hiiti Sillo said in a bid to combat animal diseases by having quality medicines,  the authority was working closely with food and drugs inspectors and animal experts to ensure no medicines were imported in illegal borders.

 

“… We know the importance of having safe and effective medicinal products available to treat sick animals…therefore initiatives for regulatory convergence aiming at increasing access to veterinary medicines for the purpose of protecting animal and human health from zoonotic and vector-borne diseases are welcome” he said.

 

According to Sillo, apart from importing medicines from other countries also there are two factories producing animal medicine in the country including the pharmacy centre in Dar es Salaam and Tanzania vaccine institute based in Kibaha, Coast Region.

 

He went to say that the first veterinary medicine for anti-rabies vaccine was registered in July 2000, since then the TFDA has continued to strengthen system for regulation of medicines in accordance with national, regional and international standards and guidelines.

 

“As of March this year, our register of veterinary medicines has a total of 454 veterinary medicines registered with TFDA,” he noted.