In order to strengthen the technical team at the OIE Sub-Regional Representation for Southern African in Gaborone, Botswana, the OIE has appointed Dr. Neo Mapitse as OIE Deputy Sub-Regional Representative (DSRR). The incumbent is a Botswana national, doctor in veterinary medicine (BVMS) from the Glasgow University Veterinary School, University of Glasgow (UK) with a MSc in wild animal health from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London (UK) to his name.
He is a well-known wildlife health expert in Southern Africa and is fully conversant with WTO and SPS-related issues as former SPS national enquiry point for his country. Dr. Mapitse comes to the OIE from the Botswana Department of Veterinary Services (Ministry of Agriculture) where he was a Principal Veterinary Officer and Head of the Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics Section.
The new Deputy Representative will be entrusted with the liaison with the various sub-committees of SADC and with all issues related to wildlife diseases and disease notification, including the follow-up of rumours. In addition, Neo Mapitse will be entrusted with the coordination of OIE activities conducted under the auspices of the IDENTIFY project in the Congo river basin. The IDENTIFY project is a component of the USAID funded “Emerging Pandemic Threats” programme (EPT), in which the OIE will provide reference laboratory services to the countries of the Congo Basin, primarily by fast-tracking twinning agreements between African reference laboratories and OIE reference laboratories, for disease relevant to that region.
Dr Neo Mapitse can be contacted through : [email protected]
