Namibian veterinary checkpoint staff, trained on inspection of movement of animals, their products, infectious materials at the veterinary cordon fence.

Namibia has a WOAH-recognised Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) – free zone which is south of the Veterinary Cordon Fence or VCF (game and stock-proof double-fenced corridor) where vaccination is not practiced and allows it to export animals and animal products to other countries with minimal sanitary restrictions. The area north of the veterinary cordon fence is called the Northern Communal Area (NCA), is a Protection Zone and comprises seven regions: Oshana, Oshikoto, Omusati, Ohangwena, Kavango West, Kavango East, and an Infected Zone, i.e. Zambezi region. The Veterinary Cordon Fence or “red line” was erected in 1896 following an outbreak of rinderpest, to act as a surveillance and exclusion fence separating the NCA from the commercial farming areas south of the fence.

Movement of animals and animal products from the Protection Zone to the south of the Veterinary Cordon Fence (Free Zone) is prohibited and is strictly controlled. The movement of people, animals and goods across the VCF is controlled by means of several permanent veterinary checkpoints that run from the Botswana border in the east to the Atlantic Ocean in the west. These gates are being manned by veterinary officials (watchmen) as well as other stakeholders such as police, and forestry rangers. The watchmen manning the checkpoints play an important role in disease prevention and control. Therefore, capacitating the veterinary checkpoint staff is important to update their knowledge and skills on how to conduct the inspection at the checkpoints which are crucial to contribute to early detection, response and control / eradication of transboundary animal diseases (TADs) such as FMD, PPR, and CBPP, and most importantly to continuously maintain disease-free status, south of the VCF.

The training began with a welcoming remark by Dr. Joseph K. Kapapero, Chief Veterinarian, Animal Disease Control, North-East subdivision, in which he highlighted the importance of empowering watchmen at various veterinary checkpoints for disease prevention and control. The training programme covered a wide range of topics and included the following:

• Day 1 covered the mission of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR), the Directorate of Veterinary Services’ mandate and organogram; watchman protocols, the Animal Health Act, and related regulations; livestock stock branding and its regulation; how to conduct animal checkpoint roadblock and searching in the event of a disease outbreak; the Public Service Act; public servants’ staff rules and channels of communication in the workplace.
• Day 2 focused on livestock traceability and movement control which included animals identification according to FMD zones; movement of animals, animal products and infectious materials through the VCF, movement of thatch grass as well as movement of processed red meat and meat products across the VCF. A group exercise on the above topics was also conducted to assess the knowledge gained by the participants.
• Day 3 covered how to conduct proper vehicle disinfection at the veterinary gates, movement of hides, skins and trophies across the VCF, maintaining gate registers and how to compile monthly gate reports. The participants were educated on Foot-and-mouth disease, and it control and also on Rabies prevention and control.

Training evaluation

A pre-and post-training assessment was conducted. Participants expressed that this training equipped them with knowledge, skills and confidence to execute their duties at veterinary checkpoints. This training also provided them an opportunity to interact with other fellow staff from different veterinary checkpoints and learn from each other to implement a uniform rule across the checkpoints.