MARTIN MAWAYA
GWERU-The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) has partnered with the Zimbabwe government to modernize the Animal Health Act.
The partnership is meant to improve livestock disease management as well as promoting growth and transformation of the livestock sector.
The UNDP-ZRBF initiative is bankrolled by the European Union (EU), The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), the Government of Sweden (SIDA) and the UNDP.
UNDP-ZRBF Program manager Titus Kuuyuor said the overall objective of the project is to contribute towards increased capacities of communities to protect development gains in the face of recurrent shocks and stresses.
He said the country’s Livestock Growth Plan 2020-2025 identifies livestock diseases as one of the key areas that needs interventions to position the livestock sector to contribute meaningfully as envisioned in the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
“It is critical to note that along with the suffering of animals themselves, animal diseases devastate communities and in turn affect human livelihoods. Preventing and controlling diseases grows economies, bolsters local communities and improves the health of vulnerable populations as such, the ZRBF is supporting the Government to Review the Animal Health pieces of legislation,” he said.
Kuuyuor added that the revised pieces of legislation will facilitate communities to take positive steps in ensuring that animal welfare needs are protected as well as eradicate and prevent the spread of animal pests and diseases.
Veterinary Services Department chief director, Josphat Nyika told The Midweek Watch that the consultation process will take place through out the country and will be validated in Harare and Bulawayo as the department seeks to capture all suggestions and recommendations towards the review of the Act.
He said it is important to amend the Act in order to take into account new and emerging realities in the animal health and welfare landscape.
“It is key and fundamental that we modernize this Act because times have changed, situations have changed, and diseases have changed as every month we are getting a new disease. The Act is being reviewed so that it takes into account the current realities on the ground. We also align the Act to the international standards,” he said.
Nyika highlighted that the amendments will help to strip out the overlaps from other acts.
Meanwhile, stakeholders from the livestock sector who gathered in Gweru for the review of the 1961 Animal health legislation have proposed radical changes saying the Act is now outdated and no longer conforms to the current trends.
Among the major proposal from the province is the inclusion of the welfare component on the title and at the preamble as well as the removal of section 25 of the Act which gives powers to the responsible director to order for the destruction of buildings, villages or enclosure of the affected areas infected or contaminated by the diseases.
They also advocated for the stiffer penalties against the illegal livestock movement and failure to dip cattle.
The UNDP-ZRBF has also supported the review and development of the Animal Health-related statutory instruments that feeds into the Animal Health Act.
