Don Seeks Heavy Sanctions Against Manufacturers Of Substandard Vet Products
Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
A Professor of Veterinary Microbiology and Molecular Biology at the University of llorin, Mashood Raji, has called for severe sanctions against manufacturers and circulation of counterfeit and substandard veterinary products to guide against the spread of livestock’s diseases
Raji, who made the call while delivering the 307th inaugural lecture of the University, Themed: “Microbes: Invisible Enemies of Humans and Livestock”, said the prescription and administration of restricted veterinary medicines should remain the exclusive responsibility of licenced Veterinary practitioners to promote responsible antimicrobial stewardship.
He stressed the importance of regulatory agencies to intensify the enforcement of laws governing the production, importation, distribution, sale, and uses of veterinary drugs and medicines.
The inaugural lecturer, from the Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of veterinary medicine, added that, government, livestock producers and livestock market associations should enforce strict hygiene, sanitation, and biosecurity standard through out the production chains.
He further called on slaughter house operators to implement modern slaughter house standards, reliable water, effective waste disposal system, routine inspection and strict compliance with food safety regulations, noting that they are essential to reduce food-borne diseases and safeguard public health.
While calling for the strengthening of the national disease surveillance and diagnostic capacity, Raji urged the federal, state and local governments, in partnership with the private sector to invest substantially in modern diagnostic laboratories and integrated disease surveillance system.
He added that a coordinated national surveillance programme should be established and sustained to monitor disease incident, identify epidemiological risk factors, monitor seasonal disease trends and provide real-time surveillance of antimicrobial resistance to enable rapid public health interventions.
Raji further stressed the importance of the institutionalized inter-sectoral collaborations between the Federal ministries of Agriculture, food security, Health, Center for disease control and prevention, Agency for food and drug administration and control and Veterinary teaching hospitals on informations sharing for effective disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, and coordinated emergency response.
