Press Release

Emergency Response Mission for Foot and Mouth Disease in Iraq

18 June 2023

A joint meeting was held between the Ministry of Agriculture represented by the Technical Undersecretary of the Minister and the Veterinary Department, with the participation of FAO experts (Emergency Management Centre for Animal Health EMC) in collaboration with EuFMD, and the FAO / Iraq Office, was held on June 15, 2023, at the office of the Technical Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture / Ministry of Agriculture. With the aim of discussing the results of the visit of FAO experts specialized in providing advisory support to confront FMD SAT2 and epidemics that may affect livestock for the period from 11 to 15 June 2023.

The team summarized field visits to various regions in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, and to the central diagnostic laboratories in Baghdad and Erbil. They also reviewed department's foot-and-mouth disease control Programmes and provided valuable observations and suggestions for an implementation plan for the FMD control system and animal diseases in general.

Dr. Mithaq Al-Khafaji, Technical Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the rapid response of the FAO and the FAO team of experts, and confirmed the Ministry's commitment to implementing their valuable observations. He also explained the reasons that led to the outbreak of the disease in Iraq and the measures by the Ministry of Agriculture to control the disease and limit its spread, as well as to protect breeders and farmers by setting vaccination dates for animals and issuing veterinary certificates. In addition, a platform has been established that includes all hospitals and veterinary clinics to share and disseminate information and reports on the number of animals and their movements, and to identify foci of injury.

In turn, Dr. Salah El Hajj Hassan, FAO Representative in Iraq, stressed the need to form a joint committee to be called Iraqi FMD Task Force that includes experts in animal disease control from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources in the Kurdistan Region. The FMD task force would act as a technical advisory group to provide recommendations to decision-makers in Baghdad and Erbil. The FAO office in Iraq will develop the necessary recommendations to improve animal disease control programs and harmonies Global and local regulations for the protection of livestock in Iraq.

At the end of the meeting, several proposals and recommendations were concluded, most notably the joint cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture and the FAO Organization by intensifying the training of veterinary staff in a qualitative and targeted manner through training programs to increase competencies and technical expertise, while building a system for monitoring and controlling livestock diseases, with the support of the proposal of the Representative of FAO in Iraq to form a committee specialized in communicating and unifying information between the Center and the Kurdistan Region, with the participation of the FAO, so that accurate information and data on animal diseases can be sent.

Khawla Ben Aicha

FAO

Communications Specialist

khawla.benaicha@fao.org

Salah Elhajjhassan

FAO

Representative

salah.elhajjhassan@fao.org

Mr Hajj Hassan, a national of Lebanon, holds a Ph.D. in Plant Production from the University of Agriculture, Damascus, Syria; a Master of Science degree in Plant Production and a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering, both from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
He started his career in 1984, as Senior Research Assistant in the Agricultural Research and Education Centre (AREC), American University of Beirut. From 1987 to 1991, he was Coordinator of the Student Training Programme, and also Agriculture and Horticultural Teacher for the Faculty of Agriculture, at the Lebanese University.
From 1991 to 1995, he worked as Agricultural Engineer at the Ministry of Agriculture, Bekaa Regional Office, Zahlah and was then assigned to the Agricultural Research Institute in the Tal Amara station, first as Head of the Crop Production Department and subsequently in charge of the Plant Protection Laboratory. From 2002 to 2006, he was Director of the Kfardane Research Station (Agricultural Research Institute). In 2008, he became Visiting Scientist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and Coordinator of a project with the International Centre for Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna.
In 2010, he served as Advisor to the Minister for Agriculture of Lebanon. In 2011, he became President of the Pesticide Scientific Committee, Head of the Phytoplasma Committee and Director of the Agriculture and Rural Development Programme (ARDP) (EU-funded project). From 2010 to 2013, he represented Lebanon in negotiations with EU, Egypt, Jordan and Iraq. During his career, Mr Hajj Hassan also carried out a number of other functions. He represented the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) in several research programmes with the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and the American University of Beirut. He was Coordinator of the Mashreq/Maghreb project with ICARDA, representing Lebanon in the Steering Committee, as well as being the Head of the Sugar-beet Delivery and of the Wheat Delivery Committees. For a number of years, Mr Hajj Hassan worked for the preparation of FAO TCP projects and served as the National Director of a TCP project. He joined FAO in January 2014 as FAO Representative in Yemen. Mr Hajj Hassan succeeds Mr El Zubi as FAO Representative in Iraq.

UN entities involved in this initiative

FAO

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Goals we are supporting through this initiative