Ethiopia has the largest livestock population in Africa, making a considerable contribution to the livelihood of Ethiopian people and to the wider economy. However, zoonotic diseases threaten the performance and potential benefits of this vast livestock sector. Emerging zoonotic diseases, such as bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis and anthrax that have acquired global significance seriously affect the livestock sector in the country. A number of policies and regulations have been designed in order to prevent and control the transmission of animal and zoonotic diseases in Ethiopia.
As per the data obtained from Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), despite, or perhaps because of, the scale of livestock industries in Ethiopia, endemic diseases threatens its performance and potential, posing a risk to the nation’s agricultural development. Exports of livestock and livestock products face challenges in meeting stringent animal health requirements at the border, due to the prevalence of trade-limiting, trans-boundary livestock diseases. The impact of animal diseases stems from direct loss of livestock due to animal mortality, as well as from more indirect effects of morbidity such as slower growth, lower fertility rates and lower productivity (resulting in less milk and less draught power). Some of these diseases are zoonotic and so have considerable impact on human health.
As a result of this data, provision and fair distribution of animals’ medicine become fundamental issue of the sector. However, Reports indicate that 98 percent of the livestock medicines’ supply relies on importation which consumes high amount of hard currency. This dependency of animals’ medicines provision on the nation’s foreign currency earning capacity is adding insult to the injury of the country’s forex deficit.
While approached by The Ethiopian Herald, Dr. Solomon Kebede, Director of Veterinary Medicines and Forages Inspection Directorate at the Veterinary Drug and Animal Feed Administration and Control Authority of Ethiopia said that most of the medicines are imported by the private sector and the sector imports based on the profitability of the business.
It strictly follows the feasibility of the trade and its prolonged expiry date. As a result, some crucial medicines may not be imported. On the other hand, there is government owned Medicine Supply Agency which has a mandate to import medicines that could not be imported by the private sector and supply to the public. There is also other organization known as Agricultural Inputs Supply Corporation owned by the government. It was established to resolve problems with regard to agricultural inputs but it is unable to do so as per it is required.
The organization got license for the importation of animal medicines not included in the list of the private sector, but it imports medicines similar to that imported by the private sector. However, as to Dr Solomon, it would have been better to import medicines that are not imported by the private sector. Doing so, reaching the pastoral communities would be possible so that the live stock sector could be improved.
Currently, better structured supply chain system is established in towns and the demand comes from bottom to top. The supply is carried out based on the demand. But there are some gaps in meeting the demands of the pastoral communities because the private sector suppliers, as mentioned above, focus on maximizing their profit margins neglecting the need of the community to some extent.
With regard to the volume of imported animal medicines, Dr Solomon said that, animals’ medicine that worth of 25 million Dollars was imported in 2014. Such achievement was attained at that time because there was no scarcity of hard currency in Banks. Later on, however, the amount of finance spent on the sector has been deducted from 23 to 21 and 19 million Dollars.
In order to address the scarcity of hard currency, multiple agents must make agreement with foreign producing companies based on the trade law to import and distribute the medicine to the customers. This mechanism will positively resolve the problem. The allocation of Dollars for the importation of medicines will also increase. Currently, on average, Ethiopia imports animals’ medicine that worth 22 million Dollars.
A medicine by its nature needs proper care and safety transportation from place to place. Currently, however, some medicines are imported illegally through borders of neighboring countries and transported to various parts of the country imposing risk against the nation’s economy and the animals’ health. Asked whether the country has the capacity to check and control this illegal medicine or not, Solomon said that, animals forage and medicine supervision proclamation has given the mandate to the regional and the federal agencies to supervise the imported medicines.
Medicines that are transported from one region to the other are supervised by Veterinary Drug and Animal Feed Administration and Control Authority of Ethiopia. It also controls the transition of illegal medicines coming from neighboring countries. In the regions the supervision mandate is given to the region’s office of agriculture. The offices have the mandate to inspect the safety transportation of animals’ medicines from regions to regions. However, currently some gaps are witnessed in controlling the smuggling of medicines though some measures are being taken by the pertinent authorities.
Additional supervising institutions are also established aiming to reinforce the efforts. But exerting concerted effort to control the illegal trade both by federal and regional authorities and by other stake holders should be taken as a way out. Though Ethiopia is rich in the number of live stock population, the animals are critically vulnerable to diseases particularly in the low land areas of the country. The diseases originate from bacteria, virus, parasites and protozoa. Ecology of the lowland provides fertile land for the outbreak of the diseases. For example, the disease locally known as “Gendi” vectored by tsetse fly is extremely harmful to the animals.
The arid area fly can easily transfer the diseases from one to the other animal and the disease is life threatening. As to Dr. Solomon, there are conducive places for the outbreak of the animals’ diseases both in the low and high land areas of the country. While the diseases easily reduce in the high lands, they increase in the low land areas so that prevention mechanisms must be taken as a likely option.
The Ethiopian Animals National Health Protection Institute has a mandate to produce vaccination. It distributes its vaccines to various regions and plays crucial role in preventing animals’ diseases. However, though such preventive measures are underway, the outbreak of some diseases continued yet. Hence, in line with the provision mechanism, medical treatment should continue relentlessly.
According to studies, 70 percent of animals’ diseases are easily communicable t humans. Hence, to protect human health, preventing animals’ diseases is critical and paying attention to the animals’ health sector is vital. As to Dr. Solomon, the importation of animals’ medicines for poor countries such as Ethiopia is hardly affordable. Therefore, substituting the importation with local products should be underlined. The Ethiopian Animals Forage Administration and supervision has the mandate to produce animal medicines but due to various reasons it is unable to do so. To realize the objectives of medicine production, currently the government put directions that the private sector can fully engage in medicine production and some incentives are already provided.
Supportive schedules by the Ethiopian Investment Commission also undergoing and working places in the industry parks are offered. Despite the discouraging experience encountered some investors of the sector in the past, there is initiation to engage into the sector among other investors. This should be motivated and backed with incentives along with facilitating market channel. This in turn circumvents reluctance and drawing backs showed by some investors.
BY ABEBE WOLDEGIORGIS
The Ethiopian Herald may 11/2021
