According to the Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Emmanuel Allegye-Cudjoe, the surge in demand for meat during the festive season often leads to the sale of animals slaughtered under unsafe conditions, increasing the risk of foodborne diseases and other public health threats.

“We are what we eat. As we are going to enjoy Christmas, let’s make sure that we buy our Christmas animals and products from known sources. They should be slaughtered in established facilities under hygienic conditions and inspected by veterinarians,” he cautioned.

Dr Allegye-Cudjoe spoke to The Ghanaian Times on the sidelines of the opening of the 51st Annual General Meeting (AGM) and 25th Biennial Conference of the Ghana Veterinary Medical Association (GVMA) held in Accra last Friday.

The conference was held on the theme: “Resetting Animal Health Systems; the role of the Veterinarian in Ghana’s Agricultural Transformation and Public Health Protection.” It brought together key stakeholders in the animal health sector to deliberate on measures to strengthen veterinary systems to safeguard public health.

Dr Allegye-Cudjoe explained that recognised and safe sources of meat could be identified through facilities accredited by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), as well as VSD-endorsed slaughterhouses. He stressed that food safety was a shared responsibility and urged the public to remain vigilant, particularly during periods of increased consumption such as Christmas.

“Make sure that when you are enjoying the festive season with your family, you know that you are eating meat from the right source,” he added.

The Chief Veterinary Officer called for stringent measures to address the existential threats posed by climate change and illegal mining, which continue to undermine Ghana’s food environment. He disclosed that the VSD was strengthening surveillance systems to monitor chemical residues in meat and other animal-derived foods to protect public health and appealed to the government to adequately resource the Directorate to enable it to effectively discharge its mandate.

The President of the GVMA, Dr Joseph Abuh, called for the urgent passage of the Animal Health Bill, describing it as critical to transforming veterinary practice and safeguarding public health.

“A resilient animal health system is not just a veterinary agenda, it is a national development priority,” he said.

Dr Abuh further called for collaborative efforts to tackle climate change, illegal mining, and antimicrobial resistance, which he noted pose significant threats to human, animal, and environmental health.