Bolgatanga — All abattoirs in the Upper East Region were last Thursday closed down due to the outbreak of anthrax in the region.
The closure which was ordered by the Regional Public Health Emergency Management Committee (PHEMC) was to control and avert the spread of the disease and its devastating impact on the lives of animals and human beings.
The Upper East Regional Minister and Chairman of the PHEMC gave the directive at a press briefing in Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional capital on Thursday.
In attendance were health officers, the Regional Director for Health Services, Dr Emmanuel Kofi Dzotsi, and other personalities from the Veterinary Services, and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).
According to him, the decision to ban the operations of the abattoirs, coupled with the ban on the sale and consumption of meat and meat products of ruminant animals, such as goats, sheep, donkeys and cattle, was part of control measures to tackle the outbreak of the deadly anthrax bacteria.
The Regional Minister said he has sanctioned the vaccination of animals across the length and breadth of the region.
Mr Yakubu said it was stunning the outbreak of the disease had dealt a big blow on animals and human lives, as one person from the Binduri District had been confirmed dead after losing the battle to the anthrax disease a few days ago.
He however, challenged some institutions and agencies, especially the FDA, the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana Police Service, the Department of Food and Agriculture, the Municipal and District Environmental Health Officers, among others, to work hard to ensure the preventive measures were strictly enforced to the core.
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Mr Yakubu entreated owners of the livestock to do well to avail their animals for the free anthrax vaccination exercise, as the region was poised to working collectively to keep the disease at bay.
Meanwhile, according to situational reports, about 2,339 ruminant animals-comprising 1,068 cattle, 757 sheep, 514 goats had been vaccinated as of Wednesday.
Statistics from the Veterinary Services Department of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture revealed that 30 human anthrax cases had been recorded, with one person losing his life to the bacterium, as nine cattle, 24 sheep and goats, had also died following the outbreak of the disease.
The Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Dzotsi, strongly advised the public to eat wholesome food, adding all food vendors must also endeavour to go by the directives, as information gathered from four most hit districts as far as the anthrax disease was concerned was chilling, hence each and everyone must leave no stone unturned in their contributions to end the phenomenon.
