The Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVM), Anambra state chapter, Thursday, said the state was prone to zoonoses if the government fail to employ more professionals across the 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
According to the State Chairman of NVM, Dr Ifeanyi Obiwulu, Nigeria like other parts of the continent was battling monkey-pox, bird flue and other diseases transmittable by animals due to quackery, neglect to the profession, among other factors.
Obiwulu, who was speaking at the training/workshop for livestock farmers organised by the association to intimate farmers the modern livestock farming, challenges and solutions, said only one veterinary doctor was engaged at each of the 21 LGAs, which according to him, was not good to the state.
He, therefore, appealed to governor Charles Soludo to employ more veterinary doctors across the local government areas, as well as establish a ministry of animal health and production to help improve animal and public health, abattoir inspection and others.
“I am appealing for establishment of animal health and production in the state. And to employ more veterinary doctors across the 21 LGAs, because as at today, we have only one at each of the council areas. This will help to checkmate the zoonoses springing up here and there, and prevent the effects here. It will help to correct a lot of damages in our society today, sanitise the system, and eliminate quackery,” he noted.
On the training, Obiwulu, charged farmers to utilise the opportunity to improve their services and better the society amidst commercialized agriculture.
Some of the resource persons for the training, Dr Webster Okonkwo and Dr Chika Ikeogu, harped on the needs for farmers to adopt modern technologies and innovations in poultry and pig farming.
