In association with its strategic partners and stakeholders, Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) has organized a workshop on epidemic and communicable diseases on 12-13 July, at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi. The workshop assessed the efficiency of the local plan to deal with infectious and communicable diseases affecting livestock.

It was attended by the Director General of ADFCA and a number of the authority's leaders, as well as representatives from Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD), General Command of Abu Dhabi Police, Abu Dhabi Health Authority, the Coordination and Response Office of the National Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Management Authority Abu Dhabi (NECMA), the Center Of Waste Management Abu Dhabi, and Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport.

In coordination with NECMA's Coordination and Response Office, the workshop discussed the local response plan to address all biological risks resulted from epidemics and infectious diseases, which may affect livestock in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. This came within the overall context identified by the Ministry of Climate Change. It is part of the emergency and crisis management plans of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi designed to avert potential emergencies and accidents.

The workshop also aimed at assessing the plan's procedures to deal with epidemics of unknown causes when they infect animals, reviewing stages and steps of actions taken to address these epidemics, as well as identifying and reviewing roles of relevant bodies and specialists in this regard, to ensure these procedures are fully prepared to deal with these diseases, to enhance the bio-security system.

In this regard, Thamer Rashed Al Qasemi, ADFCA's spokesperson, stressed that organising this workshop reflects the authority's keenness on ensuring food safety and promoting sustainable development for the agriculture sector.

"ADFCA seeks to provide safe food to consumers and protect animals and plants from diseases, as well as promoting best agricultural and food practices through adopting effective policies, regulations, and researches aim to ensure quality standards, in addition to organising effective and comprehensive awareness programs. The workshop emphasized ADFCA's priorities in eradicating epidemics that may affect livestock. In coordination with its partners, ADFCA contributes to reducing these epidemics' impacts on the members of the society," Al Qasemi stated.

Al Qasemi stressed the authority's keenness to cooperate with its partners in detecting and dealing with epidemics and diseases affecting livestock, as well as controlling them. Through exchanging ideas and benefiting from the expertise and abilities of the authority's partners, Al Qasemi added that ADFCA seeks to preserve public health by ensuring food safety and eradicating the sources of epidemics.

He added the workshop introduced the attendees to the wise ways to control the potential epidemics as well as the importance of joining efforts to eradicate these diseases. It also included a training aimed at ensuring the readiness of ADFCA's staff and its partners in dealing with animal-related emergencies within the scope of their responsibilities, in addition to activating communication with all parties concerned with the response plan.

ADFCA's activities aim to ensure the safety of livestock in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Its functions include diagnosis of diseases that threaten livestock, treatment for sick animals, detection and extermination of internal and external parasites, vaccination of animals against different epidemic diseases, conducting surgeries, prevention and treatment of diseases that transmit from animals to humans, Moreover, the sector also conducts annual studies on prevalent epidemic and endemic diseases and reasons for the death of animals. The sector also issues veterinary certificates for animals being exported, declaring them free of diseases.