In a bid to equip security personnel on the dangers of avian and human influenza, the Department of Veterinary and Livestock Service under the SPINAP-Gambia project, recently held a training seminar for fifty security officers.

The training session, held at the Paradise Suites Hotel in Kololi, brought together personnel from the Immigration Department, Army, Police and other security units in the country.

Speaking at the forum, Dr. Kebba Daffeh, the Project Coordinator, who doubles as the Director of the Department of Veterinary and Livestock Service, said the massive participation of security forces was a manifestation of the concerns security forces have on the issues of avian influenza. Dr. Daffeh underscored the important role played by security forces in preventing and controlling the scourge, saying that without security there will be no meaningful development in any country.

According to him, the importance of training security personnel cannot be over-emphasised as they play a significant role in the event of any disaster, including outbreak of diseases like avian influenza.

“When such outbreak of diseases occurs, there will be the need for the security to control the movement of people in all borders, as well as the entry of poultry and others,” he stated.

Dr. Daffeh further underscored the significance of the SPINAP-Gambia Project, which he said, is geared towards building capacities at the grassroots level on the dangers posed by avian and human influenza.

He disclosed that the project being funded by African and the European Commission is implemented by the African Union Inter-Africa Bureau of Animal Resources.