The National President of Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA), Dr Edgar Sunday said that the billions of dollars spent on milk, fish and poultry importation can be reduced if the services of Veterinarians are engaged.
Dr Sunday who disclosed this during the induction of NVMA into the Association of Professional Bodies in Nigeria (APBN), noted that the frequent clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers can also be reduced with application of advances in veterinary services.
According to him “Whether for domestic consumption or export, developing the Livestock subsector of agriculture depends on optimum veterinary service delivery.
“The billions of dollars spent on importation of milk, fish and poultry despite the country’s immense potentials in these products as well as the incessant clashes between herdsmen and farmers can all be significantly addressed and ameliorated through application of advances in veterinary services”,
Dr Sunday further said that about 70 per cent emerging human infections are caused by animals, that professional mandate of Veterinary surgeon is the prevention, treatment and control of animal and zoonotic diseases.
He said Veterinary Surgeon have been working to promote public health through the treatment and control of those Zoonotic diseases which includes Ebola, Lassa Fever, Tuberculosis and others.
According to him “it has been estimated that nearly 70 per cent of emerging and re-emergeing human infections are zoonotic.
“Most directly, Veterinary Surgeons protect and promote public health through the prevention, treatment and control of zoonotic diseases such as Ebola, Lassa Fever, Tuberculosis, Anthrax, Rabies, Hydatid disease, Taeniasis, and so on.
He further stated that treating and eradicating such diseases or preventing infection at the animal-human interface prevent introduction of the diseases to humans.
In his presentation, one of the speakers at the occasion, Dr Junaidu Maina tasked the NVMA work towards eradicating Polio in humans.
“While the human medics have eradicated smallpox, the Veterinarians too have Rinderpest under their belt, maintaining parity.