The Regional Meeting for South Africa took place from 7 to 9 November in Pretoria at the Faculty of Veterinary Science. The meeting was attended by 40 participants from partner veterinary institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and international organisations.
The African delegates came from Namibia “Central Veterinary Laboratory” and “University of Namibia”; Botswana “Botswana National Veterinary Laboratory”; Mozambique “Central Veterinary Research Institute” and “Centro de Biotecnologia UEM”; South Africa “University of Pretoria”, “Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Institute” and the NGO Jembi; Tanzania “Tanzania Veterinary Laboratory Agency”; Zambia “Central Veterinary Research Institute”; Zimbabwe “Central Veterinary Laboratory” and the “University of Zimbabwe”; Lesotho “Central Veterinary Laboratory”.
The Italian participants came from five Istituti Zooprofilattici.
The meeting was opened by the Director General of the Teramo IZS, Dr Nicola D’Alterio; by the First Counsellor of the Embassy of Italy in Pretoria, Dr Silvia Marrara; by the Representative of the WOAH Sub-Regional Office for South Africa, Dr Letshwenyo Moetapele, and the Head of the South African Veterinary Services, Dr Michael Botlhe Modisane. HE Nosipho Nausca-Jean Ngcaba, South Africa’s Ambassador to Italy, greeted the participants with a pre-recorded message.
The meeting was also attended by representatives of several International Organisations: Dr Mariana Marrana, from WOAH Paris; Dr Ahmadu Babagana, from FAO South Africa; Dr Moonasar Devanand, from WHO South Africa; Dr Madeline Newman, project manager of the Star – IDAZ Consortium.
The road map for future scientific collaborations was drawn up after presenting the Network’s successes in 2019.
Given the outcomes, the participants expressed their enthusiasm to WOAH for planning future activities under ERFAN second phase.
Professor Emeritus Faculty of Veterinary Science University of Pretoria and Dr Michael Botlhe Modisane, Head of the South African Veterinary Services
