The 11th annual meeting of the animal health networks will be held from 6th to 8th of October 2026 in Lomé, Togo, on the theme “Strengthening the surveillance and control of transboundary animal diseases in the ECOWAS region”.
The meeting aims to consolidate regional governance of animal health, strengthen coordination between the various stakeholders, and adopt strategic and operational tools essential for the prevention, early detection and control of transboundary animal diseases.
The meeting will be attended by heads of veterinary services, presidents of national veterinary associations, and focal points from the regional networks of animal health laboratories (RESOLAB) and epidemiological surveillance (RESEPI) from the member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Sahel.
Representatives from the Regional Animal Health Centre (RAHC), the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) and the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Disease Control, as well as technical and financial partners, will also be in attendance.
The meeting will provide an opportunity to present to the heads of veterinary services the findings of the “comparative study of national regulations and legislation on animal health, animal welfare and zoosanitary regulations governing trade in livestock between Sahelian and coastal countries”.
In addition to formal discussions, participants will also examine the epidemiological situation regarding the main transboundary animal diseases in ECOWAS member states.
At the same time, they will analyse and adopt the electronic platform of the Regional Animal Health Information System (RAHIS), developed by the RAHC and designed to improve the collection, analysis, sharing and use of animal health data for rapid and coordinated decision-making.
On the sidelines of the meeting, a gathering of ECOWAS ministers responsible for animal health will be held to endorse regional strategies for the protection and conservation of donkeys by 2030, for the prevention and control of foot-and-mouth disease in West Africa (2026–2030) and for the prevention and control of highly pathogenic avian influenza and the associated action plans (2026–2031).
This 11th annual meeting of animal health networks is organised by the Regional Animal Health Centre (RAHC), a specialised agency of the ECOWAS Commission. Originally based in Bamako, Mali, it is now located in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
Established in 2012, the RAHC is responsible for strengthening regional cooperation on animal health and welfare. Its primary remit is to coordinate and harmonise the policies and interventions of ECOWAS Member States in the prevention and control of transboundary animal diseases and zoonoses.
It also contributes to strengthening epidemiological surveillance, improving regional information and notification systems on animal diseases, sharing information and raising awareness amongst veterinary services, professionals and livestock farmers’ organisations.
The RAHC also works to develop the capacities of veterinary services and to strengthen partnerships at regional, continental and international levels.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
