A. W. Qureshi 1
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentleman,
It is a pleasure to see the leading experts on trypanotolerance gathered here. Sixteen years ago, in 1976, FAO held its First Expert Consultation on the subject. Except for Dr. Max Murray, none of those present here had attended that Consultation. During those four days in March of 1976, twelve substantive papers were presented to describe the trypanotolerant breeds and to discuss their improvement along with the biology of trypanotolerance and the epizoobiology and pathology of trypanosomiasis in trypanotolerant animals. The Expert Consultation recommended that ILCA and ILRAD should spearhead the required research and training programme. Consequently, it identified the various items of research which could be carried out in the field and in the laboratory. A programme for breeding of trypanotolerant animals was also identified. One conclusion which the Expert Consultation made appears to still hold true: “criteria of trypanotolerance suitable for selection programmes need to be clearly defined”. I am certain that the present gathering of experts will deal with this question along with the other questions on the agenda.
The interest in trypanotolerant livestock and in the biology of trypanotolerance had gained momentum in the early 1970s. By then, various reports, particularly those from IEMVT, had established the identify of breeds and types of cattle, sheep and goats which appeared resistant to trypanosomiasis. At that time FAO was in the process of establishing a special programme for the control of African animal trypanosomiasis. A series of international meetings was held on the subject. The Consultation n the FAO Programme for the Control of African Animal Trypanosomiasis held in Rome in 1974 had clearly identified the use of trypanotolerance stock as a major component of the programme. As a result, the 1976 Expert Consultation mentioned earlier was held to chart a research and development programme on trypanotolerance and trypanotolerant livestock which could be implemented by the concerned governements and the international agencies.
1 Chief, Animal Production Service, FAO, Rome
In 1976, ILCa incorporated research on trypanotolerant cattle into its programme. FAO collaborated with ILCA and UNEP to launch a major study on the trypanotolerant cattle, sheep and goats of West and Central Africa. This was published in 1980 in two volumes as FAO Animal production and Health Paper no. 20. An important part of this study constituted the recommendations on the evaluation, conservation and utilization of trypanotolerant livestock. These recommendations were made in a joint FAO/GTZ/IBAR/ILCA/ILRAD/UNEP meeting in Nairobi. Consequently, the research programmes of ILCA and ILRAD gave due consideration to these recommendations. The FAO Commission on African Animal Trypanosomiasis urged Member Nations to support research on the mechanism of trypanotolerance and to intensify programmes for the improvement and multiplication of trypanotolerant stock.
The momentum generated by these international activities led to the establishment of ITC in 1982. FAO assisted in its establishment and in 1983 initiated the Italian Trust Fund projects to support relevant research and training activities in cooperation with ITC. These projects led to the present FAO/UNPD regional project which aims to improve the productivity of trypanotolerant livestock and to increase its utilization. An important modality being employed by the project for this purpose is to strengthen and promote cooperation among the concerned national institutions through a network. The Fourth Session of the Commission on African Animal Trypanosomiasis (Ouagadougou, November 1986) took note of the studies conducted by the regional project and pointed out the possibility of international exchange of trypanotolerant germplasm.
The results of ILCa and ILRAD research activities during the past decade have been impressive. However, the basic questions remain. How do these results help the farmers in tsetse infested areas? How can one combine high productivity with trypanotolerance? Is there a quicker method of genetic improvement compared to conventional selection within the populations which appear to be trypanotolerant. A wide variety of ideas have been floating around which could form the bases for answering these questions or for planning further research in order to answer these questions. The Fifth Session of the Commission on african Animal Trypanosomiasis (Accra, November 1988) singled out a problem for research on the effects of trypanosomiasis on trypanotolerant livestock. It has been increasingly felt for some time that there was a need to take stock of the current state of knowledge and propose a future course of action for research and development.
The present Expert Consultation aims at doing just that. Four background papers have been prepared and circulated to all participants. The first part of the programme comprises the presentation and discussion on these papers. The second part is clearly challenging: identification of priority research work as well as practical breeding plans which could be implemented in the affected countries. It is hoped that a consensus is reached on these issues and appropriate conclusions and recommendations are laid down for the guidance of the concerned governments and international agencies. I wish you Godspeed and success!
