West Africa: Four West African Countries Join Forces to Fight Avian Influenza

This article details the cross-border meeting of the top veterinary officials from Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo, which took place in June 2007 in Ghana. At the meeting, officials agreed to join forces to look for common solutions to combat the spread of avian influenza.

According to the article, the meeting examined the risks of cross-border transmission and focused on ways to improve networking for border surveillance. The veterinary officers also discussed the health communication aspects related to the care of animals, as well as the sharing of samples and compensation for culled birds.

At the end of the meeting the four countries agreed to set up a standing committee of the Directors of Veterinary Services to meet and exchange disease surveillance and intelligence for the region. The veterinary officials also called for improved communication and information exchange among regional countries to control bird flu outbreaks.