In a statement to communicate the outcome of an emergency meeting held last Monday, the Chief Director of the Regional Coordinating Council, Alhaji Abubakari Inusah, said animals vaccinated with certified anthrax vaccines before June 20, 2023, could be slaughtered under the strict supervision of veterinary and environmental health officers.

Otherwise, it said, the ban on the slaughtering, sale and consumption of meat and meat products from cattle, goats, pigs and donkeys was still in force.

The vaccinated animals, the statement stressed, could only be slaughtered in designated slaughterhouses or places certified by veterinary officers.

Transit animals

The statement noted that animals from neighbouring countries, namely Togo, Burkina Faso and Niger, were allowed to pass through the region upon certification by the veterinary officers at all the entry points.

“All dead animals are to be reported to the nearest veterinary officers, community volunteers, assembly members and environmental health officers for investigation,” it noted.

Call on public

The statement further urged the public to avoid eating sick or dead animals and also entreated the public to cooperate towards the successful containment of the anthrax disease in the region.

It assured the people that the committee would be meeting subsequently to further review the current anthrax situation. 

Butchers’ reaction

Reacting to the statement by the regional public health emergency committee, the Secretary of the Bolgatanga Butchers Association, Timothy Tembil, however, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that although the ban had been relaxed, it was only meant for the Eid celebration.

He noted that abattoirs within the municipality had not been given the greenlight to slaughter animals as contained in the committee’s statement, saying “we have been directed to wait for about two weeks before animals can be slaughtered for sale and consumption”.

He said since owners of vaccinated animals were not given anything to show that their animals had been vaccinated, it would be very difficult for them to differentiate between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated ones.

“I thought that owners of vaccinated animals would be given some document to show that their animals have been vaccinated, but that was not the case,” he said.

While urging members of the association to remain calm as they had temporarily lost their source of livelihoods, he called on the committee to fast-track the vaccination exercise to pave the way for a total lifting of the ban.

Additionally, he advised the members against going against the directives aimed at containing and preventing the further spread of the disease across the region.