A brainstorming and drafting workshop on the compilation of the 1st Edition of the State of Animal Health in Africa took place in Naivasha, Kenya, from 13-17 December 2021. The meeting was attended by about 26 participants. These included the Editorial Committee, comprising several AU-IBAR technical staff from animal health/ welfare, OneHealth, Food safety, fisheries genres, and external contributors, such as FAO.
The objectives of the workshop was to:
1. Update participants on the SAHA theme, scope, and the proposed SAHA content outline
2. Draft the content for the first SAHA edition
3. Agree on the road map for the finalization of the first SAHA edition
Before the workshop, some modalities had been put in place to facilitate the compilation of the SAHA. Firstly, the AU-IBAR editorial committee was constituted and proposed the scope of the SAHA outline and contents for the 1st Edition of the SAHA of the 1st Edition. Additionally, the committee proposed the contributing institutions/experts for the first SAHA publication and drafted the Terms of Reference for the SAHA editorial Committee.
In 2018, AU-IBAR led the development of the Animal Health Strategy for Africa (AHSA) through a series of widely consultative processes with different stakeholder groups. The Animal Health Strategy for Africa articulates the animal health component of LiDeSA by providing a shared vision of animal health interventions in the Continent. AHSA aims to enhance effectiveness and efficiency in promoting investments, coordination of efforts, partnerships, and multi-sectoral/multidisciplinary approaches to addressing animal health issues.
The Continental Animal Health platform (CAHP-Africa) was established and operationalized to support the implementation of AHSA. In addition, a Guiding Group of eminent African experts was constituted to provide strategic guidance and advice to the CAHP-Africa. A meeting of the guiding group held in Nairobi, Kenya in October 2018, recommended the preparation of a biennial publication on the State of Animal Health in Africa to provide an in-depth analysis of selected themes in Animal health in Africa to support decision making for priority actions. A subsequent meeting of CAHP-Africa held in Nairobi in December 2018 agreed on the critical elements of the proposed SAHA. The meeting also proposed the establishment of a SAHA Editorial Committee.
