PICTURES OF THE EVENT
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H.E. the Ethiopian State Minister for Livestock and Fisheries - and WOAH Delegate - Dr. Fikru Regassa Gari (left) with the WOAH Director General, Dr. Emmanuelle Soubeyran (right). Picture (c) B. Soumare (woah) 2026.
In the framework of her work visits to WOAH Members (countries and territories), Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran visited Kenya and Ethiopia from Monday 16 to Friday 20, 2026.
Accompanied by the WOAH Deputy Director General for Global Frameworks and Capacity-building, Dr Baba Soumare, as well as the WOAH Sub-Regional Representative for Eastern Africa, Dr Neo Mapitse, she had working sessions with a large number of national, regional and international, inter-governmental and non-governmental partners, as well as with private sector representatives and the WOAH staff, based in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Director General’s first engagement on Monday 16 February was with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), its Director General, Prof. Apollinaire Djikeng and his Directors and senior staff members. ILRI was recently listed as a WOAH Collaborating Centre for the One Health approach, and most of the discussions pertained to the related workplan which will enable ILRI to fulfill its new mandate in 2026 and beyond.
Their exchanges reaffirmed the central role of One Health in addressing the interconnected challenges of animal, human and environmental health. By bringing together science, policy and capacity-building, this WOAH – ILRI partnership will help countries better prevent, detect and respond to animal health threats. Dr. Soubeyran warmly thanked Professor Djikeng and the ILRI team for their leadership, their scientific excellence and their strong commitment to translating knowledge into impact for countries and communities.
Prof. Apollinaire Djikeng (right), Director General of ILRI, with Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran. Picture (c) P. Bastiaensen (woah)
Dr. Neo Mapitse, Sub-Regional Representative for Eastern Africa, in discussion with students at the UoN Kabete campus. Picture (c) P. Bastiaensen (woah) 2026.
This meeting was followed by a presentation delivered by the Director General to veterinary students (and lecturers) at the nearby College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences (CAVS) of the University of Nairobi (UoN).
This sessions enabled the Director General to interact with the future generations of veterinary professionals in Kenya (and abroad) and to better understand their fears and aspirations on the role of their profession in responding to global challenges and WOAH’s commitment to supporting and equipping Veterinary Services.
Deputy-Director General, Dr Baba Soumaré. Picture (c) L. Iyadi (woah) 2026.
On day two of the visit, Dr Soubeyran and Dr Soumare paid hommage to the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) and its Director, and WOAH Delegate, Dr Allan Azegele, at its headquarters in Kabete, west of Nairobi. Dr Azegele, in addition to being WOAH Delegate, is also the current President of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC).
Kenya plays a regional leadership role in advancing animal health across Eastern Africa, not only through strong national Veterinary Services but also as host of WOAH’s Sub-Regional Representation for Eastern Africa in Nairobi, which supports 13 Members in the region and is currently strong of 14 staff members.
Delivering her remarks during the handover of cold chain equipment under the PCTAD Project and Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) vaccines, Dr. Soubeyran underscored the strategic importance of animal health as a driver of food security, economic resilience, and safe trade. She emphasized that animal health should not be viewed solely as a technical sector, but as a critical pillar for addressing broader challenges, including transboundary animal diseases, climate change, and public health risks.
Commending Kenya’s achievements, Dr. Soubeyran pointed to the country’s effective implementation of WOAH programmes, including the Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) pathway, laboratory strengthening initiatives, and the PCTAD Project. She noted that Kenya stands out as a country where investments have translated into measurable improvements, enabling continued collaboration through second-phase programmes.
On his part, Dr Allan Azegele, Director of Veterinary Services and WOAH Delegate, reaffirmed Kenya’s strong commitment to building a robust, resilient, and inclusive animal health system, positioning animal health as a critical pillar for agricultural productivity, public health, and economic stability.
The reception at the DVS was concluded with the customary tree planting ceremony.
Cabinet Secretary (Minister) of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, and Prime Cabinet Secretary (Prime Minister) of Kenya, H.E. Musalia Mudavadi (right). Picture (c) communication (MoFA) 2026.
The meeting with the Cabinet Secretary (Minister) of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, and Prime Cabinet Secretary (Prime Minister) of Kenya, H.E. Musalia Mudavadi, enabled the WOAH delegation to thank the Republic of Kenya for its continued support in hosting WOAH’s Sub-Regional Representation for Eastern Africa and enabling it to carry out its mission across the region.
The (then) OIE regional office was granted diplomatic mission status in 2010 and benefits from considerable financial, logistical and administrative support from the Government of Kenya.
Hon. Senator Mutahi Kagwe, EGH (right), Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development and Hon. Jonathan Mueke (left), Principal Secretary for Livestock Developement (State Department for Livestock Development). Picture (c) P. Bastiaensen (woah) 2026.
In a separate meeting with Hon. Senator Mutahi Kagwe, Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development, and Hon. Jonathan Mueke, Principal Secretary for Livestock Development, the Delegation discussed concrete actions to strengthen Veterinary Services, including support for trade facilitation, the development of the second phase of the AMR – MPTF Project (Antimicrobial resistance, Multi-partner trust fund), and collaboration on biosecurity and preparedness through the FIRABiOT initiative.
Moreover, the handover of cold chain equipment and PPR vaccines contributes directly to Kenya’s national livestock vaccination campaign and to the global effort to eradicate PPR, demonstrating how sustained investment is being translated into tangible outcomes.
Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran during a visit to the Farmers' Choice Ltd facilities in Kahawa, Nairobi. Photo (c) P. Bastiaensen (woah) 2026.
On the last day of her visit to Nairobi, she started the day off with a visit to the factory of the Kenyan meat producer and processor Farmers’ Choice Ltd (Aga Khan Group), where she met with the CEO, Ms. Felisters Gitau Mutugu, her senior technical staff, government meat inspectors and the Director of Veterinary Services, Dr Allan Azegele.
FCL is a fully vertically integrated livestock company, working with more than 10,000 outgrowers, and producing pork and beef products for the domestic market and export markets, mainly in the Middle East. The company relies heavily on the application of ISO, Codex Alimentarius and WOAH standards to access foreign markets.
AU-IBAR Director Dr Huyam Salih (left) with her colleagues, Drs James Wabacha and Jean-Marc Feussom (right). Photo (c) P. Bastiaensen (woah) 2026.
The visit was followed by a courtesy call to the Director of the Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources of the African Union (AU-IBAR), Dr. Huyam Salih, and her close collaborators, with discussions covering the numerous ties that exist between the two institutions, whether projects or programmes, such as the Continental Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) Eradication Programme, administered by the Pan-African PPR Secretariat, housed at AU-IBAR, and funded by the European Union, as well as the Africa Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Forum in the Veterinary Domain, funded by the Gates Foundation, through WOAH’s Capacity-Building Department.
Meeting with Ms. Inger Anderson, Execurtive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (right), which headquarters is based in Nairobi, Kenya. Picture (c) B. Soumare (woah) 2026.
Shortly before departing for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Dr Soubeyran and Dr Soumare also met with Ms. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, in order to reinforce the strategic alignment within the Quadripartite and to advance WOAH and UNEP’s shared OneHealth agenda ahead of the One Health Summit. Following the United Nations Environment Assembly, there is clear political momentum for One Health. Both leaders agreed that the priority now is to translate commitments into delivery, supporting countries in implementing the One Health Joint Plan of Action (OH-JPA), securing coordinated and sustainable financing, and ensuring that investments are impact-oriented and grounded in country needs. Their exchanges underlined the importance of integrating animal health within environmental and climate policies as a cornerstone of prevention, climate resilience and pandemic preparedness.
Dr. Soubeyran enjoying the traditional coffee roasting ceremony at the Ministry of Agriculture in Addis Ababa. Picture (c) N. Mapitse (woah) 2026.
During her 2-day mission to Ethiopia, the WOAH Delegation had the pleasure to meet with Dr Fikru Regassa Gari, State Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Resources Development Sector and WOAH Delegate of Ethiopia.
Dr Soubeyran thanked Ethiopia for successfully hosting the 26th Regional Conference of the WOAH Regional Commission for Africa, in February 2025, which provided an important platform to gather Members’ needs and priorities and to strengthen regional collaboration with partners.
Visit of the facilities of the national reference laboratory Animal Health Institute (AHI) in Sebeta. Picture (c) N. Mapitse (woah) 2026.
WOAH learned more about Ethiopia’s flagship national food and nutrition security initiative, “Bounty of the Basket”, and explored how WOAH programmes can contribute through strengthened Veterinary Services. The WOAH Director General and the WOAH Delegate reaffirmed their share commitment to advocate for investments in animal health and Veterinary Services.
The WOAH Delegation paid further visits to the offices of Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (VSF) Germany and Switzerland (Suisse), both supporting implementation partners of the PCTAD Project in Ethiopia, one of the beneficiary countries of this project, funded by Germany. Drs Soubeyran and Soumare also met with representatives of the Ethiopian Veterinary Association (EVA) and visited the facilities of the national reference laboratory, called Animal Health Institute (AHI) in Sebeta (pictured on the right and below).
Visit of the facilities of the national reference laboratory Animal Health Institute (AHI) in Sebeta. Picture (c) Communication (AHI) 2026.
In the afternoon of the last day, the WOAH team paid a visit to the European Union Delegation to the African Union. On this occasion, Dr Soubeyran expressed her appreciation to the Deputy Head of Mission of the EU Delegation and acknowledged the strong partnership between WOAH and the European Union and highlighted the positive impact that EU‑funded programmes continue to deliver across Africa.
Mr. Kelifa Hussien, the CEO of ALLANA Group Ethiopia, and President of the Ethiopian Meat Producers and Exporters Association (EMPEA), welcoming Dr. Emmanuelle Soubeyran to the ALLANA offices. Picture (c) N. Mapitse (woah) 2026.
Dr Soubeyran commended the EU’s sustained commitment to strengthening animal health systems, and capacity building, noting that these investments have significantly enhanced national and regional preparedness and response efforts.
The mission was completed with a visit to the livestock and meat export company ALLANA, which owns several processing facilities in Ethiopia, aimed at the export of animals and animal products for the domestic market and to the Middle East (Frigorifico Boran Foods PLC and Akseker Ethiopia Casing PLC). The company taps into the tremendous livestock resources Ethiopia has to offer, hosting the largest livestock population in Africa, and the 10th largest in the world.
