By Roselyn Phiri

Lilongwe, January 16, Mana: Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have launched a five-year ‘Enhancing Animal Health and one Health capacities to mitigate zoonotic disease threats in Malawi’ project.

Among others, the project will capacitate the animal health sector to prevent, detect and respond to public health threats.

Speaking during the launch on Wednesday, Director of Animal Health and Livestock Development Dr Julius Chulu said the project will help strengthen capacity in the Ministry of Agriculture as well as Ministry of Health so the country should quickly respond in an outbreak.

“Malawi has not been spared from pandemics. This is why we had to sit down as a Ministry to see how we can move forward hence the project,” he said.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Director for Health, Population and Nutrition, Christina Lau said they will invest US$1.8 million during the first year of the project to assist Malawi Government in complying with international health regulations.

“We are planning to support the Government of Malawi by investing money. We pledge to continue to help Malawi save and change lives for good,” she explained.

Representing FAO, Mohammad Naeem, extended gratitude to the Ministry of Agriculture, especially the Department of Animal Health and Livestock, and USAID for continued commitment in enhancing animal health to ensure that both animals and humans thrive, free from the looming shadows of zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

“FAO will continue providing the expertise, supporting Malawians to combat zoonotic threats and tame the beast of AMR,” he explained.

FAO will be the key implementers of the project in conjunction with the Malawi Government.

The five-year project, which is being funded by USAID, will have FAO in collaboration with Malawi Government as the key implementers.