FAO provides Iraqi veterinary centers with IT equipment
A shepherd walking with his herd in Anbar governorate, Iraq. Photo: AFP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Iraq handed over IT equipment last week to veterinary services in Erbil, Duhok and Nineveh governorates, according to a press statement issued by the FAO.
This support package is an integral part of national capacity building project on improving the delivery of animal health services and disease surveillance in Iraq, the statement mentioned.
The FAO Representative in Iraq, Salah ElHajjHassan, handed over PCs, Map Printer, and mobile phones, to be used for EMA-i application and disease reporting, to the General Directorate of Animal Wealth and Veterinary in Erbil, the Veterinary Directorate in Duhok and the Veterinary Hospital in Nineveh, the statement explained.
The equipment will support Iraq’s ability to detect, diagnose, and report high‐threat veterinary or zoonotic diseases in the targeted governorates, the statement clarified.
The four-year project is financially supported by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency of the United States (DTRA), and aims to reduce the risk of the international movement of animal diseases, which could threaten livestock production, food security, nutrition, food safety, public health and the environment in Iraq, the statement elaborated.
The project implements activities to strengthen the capacity of veterinary services to detect, diagnose and report highly pathogenic animal diseases and improve communication between officials and herding communities, the statement added.