FAO Iraq strengthening veterinary services capacities on responding to animal heath emergencies

This ToT in Skills Emergency Management using the Good Emergency Practice (GEMP), aims at standardizing and improving countries’ capacities to respond efficiently, rapidly and adequately to animal health disease emergencies and to assess the level of preparedness and command structures, risk analysis, also to review their contingency plans, funding mechanisms, information system, just to name a few.  

Over 30 representatives from national veterinary services and public health, who completed successfully the online training using GEMP tool, have participated in person. This training will set out clearly the elements required for veterinary services to achieve preparedness planning for any animal health disease emergencies. It will also support them to be better prepared and share the learnt knowledge with their peers.

FAO Iraq Representative Dr. Salah El-Hajj Hassan states, “We are committed to incorporate ‘One Health’ approach in our work to confront heath threats posed by the persistence of Transboundary Animal Diseases and their consequences to a country’s economy and livelihoods. This training aims to provide the Iraqi veterinary services with the needed knowledge and tools to achieve preparedness planning for animal disease emergency.” 

“We will continue working in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture towards limiting the risk of spread of high‐threat animal diseases in the country and into neighboring countries thanks to DTRA’s generous contribution,” he adds.