ADAFSA places significant emphasis on veterinarians
ABU DHABI: The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) is celebrating World Veterinary Day, which falls on Saturday, 27th April 2024, under the theme “Veterinarians: Essential Health Workers”.
ADAFSA places significant emphasis on its team of veterinarians and technicians, numbering over 170 professionals, including a number of rare specialities and experts in important scientific fields such as virology, pathology, epidemiology, parasitology, microbiology, and molecular biology, in addition to animal production sciences, surgery, and reproduction. All of these play a pivotal role in implementing strategic plans aimed at building and enhancing biosecurity, One Health system, and ensuring the sustainability of food safety.
On this occasion, ADAFSA highlighted tangible achievements in enhancing biosecurity, controlling pests and diseases, ensuring the health of plants and animals, and promoting the safety of livestock during the year 2023. The implementation of biosecurity requirements significantly contributed to reducing the spread of zoonotic diseases between humans and animals. The compliance rate of biosecurity requirements in red meat slaughterhouses reached approximately 97 percent in 2023, while it was around 90 percent in livestock markets.
ADAFSA emphasised that these achievements were made possible through the efforts of specialised technical staff in the field of veterinary medicine. Statistical estimates indicate that veterinarians and technical assistants conducted approximately 6,400 routine visits to legal animal farms in Abu Dhabi in 2023 to ensure compliance with biosecurity requirements, disease prevention and animal health promotion.
Regarding the application of biosecurity requirements through monitoring ports and inspecting meat shipments imported into Abu Dhabi, ADAFSA noted that approximately 33,800 meat shipments and shipments of animal origin were inspected during the past year, amounting to about 615,000 tonnes. Some 650 samples were withdrawn from these imported shipments for laboratory examination, with 37 samples (47 tonnes) rejected for non-compliance with specifications and standards.
Executive Director of the Animal Wealth Sector at ADAFSA, stated that these achievements demonstrate Abu Dhabi’s commitment to enhancing biosecurity and animal health, and ensuring food safety for consumers.
He emphasised the role of veterinary services in protecting animal wealth from diseases and pests, and promoting sustainable development in the agricultural sector of the emirate.