AU-IBAR urges African countries to strengthen livestock data systems for disease surveillance

KENYA – African Union – InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) has called on African countries to strengthen livestock data systems and improve the use of animal health information to support disease surveillance, vaccination programmes and livestock policy decisions across the continent.

Speaking at the closing of the ARIS Advanced End Users Training Workshop in Nairobi, Huyam Salih, Director of AU-IBAR, said that accurate, validated livestock data remains critical for monitoring disease outbreaks and protecting livestock-dependent livelihoods.

The four-day workshop brought together animal health and information management experts from Eastern, Southern and selected West African countries under the Pan-African Programme for the Eradication of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR).

Dr Salih said countries need to move beyond simply collecting data and focus on ensuring information is reliable and actively used in decision-making.

“Data only has value if it is of good quality, and if it is used,” she said.

According to AU-IBAR, weak and inconsistent livestock data continues to affect disease monitoring, risk analysis and emergency response capacity in several African countries.

The organisation said stronger animal health information systems are becoming increasingly important as African countries face rising threats from transboundary livestock diseases, climate-related production challenges and expanding regional livestock trade.

Better livestock data seen as key to regional disease control

AU-IBAR said countries should apply lessons from the Nairobi training to improve validation processes, strengthen national data management systems and enhance use of the Animal Resources Information System (ARIS).

The agency also encouraged greater regional collaboration through harmonised animal health reporting systems and the sharing of best practices between countries.

Dr Salih urged workshop participants to serve as technical resource persons within their institutions and to support national efforts to improve livestock information systems.

The training programme received support from the European Union, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Organisation for Animal Health.

Livestock disease monitoring has become a growing global focus as outbreaks of diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease, avian influenza, and PPR continue to affect animal production systems and trade.

Industry experts say stronger livestock data systems are increasingly essential for supporting vaccination planning, disease traceability, feed supply management and broader livestock sector resilience.

AU-IBAR said follow-up activities will continue to support countries in strengthening national animal health information systems and sustaining progress achieved during the Nairobi workshop.

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