Launch Of Djibouti- Ethiopia Cross-Border Collaboration; Governance Structures And Development Of Harmonized Surveillance And Vaccination Program

7-8^th December, 2021 ( Djibouti-Ville, Djibouti): Several OIE listed transboundary animal diseases (TADs) or diseases that can easily spread from one country to others and reach epizootic proportions and their control/management requires cooperation between several countries, continue to spread within the IGAD region threatening the economic, trade and/or food security of the member states. Hence, Ministers responsible for Animal Resources in IGAD member states signed a Regional Policy Framework on Animal Health (RPFAH) in 2009 in the context of trade and vulnerability to harmonize management of these diseases.  They recognized the challenges caused by TADs, the need for enhancing regional trade and calls for a coordinated regional approach to address these problems. Therefore, IGAD facilitated, Djibouti – Ethiopian to sign a cross border MOU signature in December, 2018 to strengthen this collaboration.

To operationalize the MoU, IGAD/ICPALD organized a two days meeting to launch the governance structure and develop a harmonized disease surveillance and vaccination calendar for 2022 between the two countries which took place in Djibouti, in the Republic of Djibouti from 7-8^th December, 2021. The meeting officially opened by Secretary General of Ministry of Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Livestock, Ibrahim Elmi was attended by 33 technical personnel from Ministries in charge off animal resources, VSF-S, ICPALD and AU-IBAR. The below recommendations were made:

1. Each country should Integrate Cross-border animal health issues into national programs to facilitate implementation of areas of signed bilateral MOU and implementation framework.
2. Each country should continue with awareness creation about the signed MOU and implementation framework to various stakeholders (development partners, communities, policy makers, traders) for buy-in about the values of coordinated cooperation and collaboration for control of transboundary animal diseases such as; PPR, FMD, LSD, CCPP, CBPP etc. across the common border.
3. The two countries with support of IGAD should strengthen implementation of the harmonized disease surveillance and vaccination calendar for 2022 against the common TADs across their common border.
4. The two countries with support of IGAD should develop a protocol to promote information sharing against the common TADs in areas of surveillance, control of animal movement for trade, in search of pasture and water etc.
5. The two countries in collaboration with IGAD should strengthen resource mobilization efforts from donors and development partners by developing bankable individual/joint proposals/ concept notes.
6. IGAD should facilitate development of Tri-lateral MOU between Djibouti-Ethiopia-Somalia on Cross-border cooperation on animal health and sanitary measures.
7. The two countries with support from IGAD should promote shared use of Cross-border livestock infrastructure (Laboratories, Quarantine facilities, Livestock markets) and natural resources (water and pasture)

Source: Intergovernmental Authority on Development