Participants at the sensitization workshop

FAO promotes advocacy sessions to prevent zoonoses resulting from handling, trade and consumption of bushmeat.

In Ghana, bushmeat trade is an important economic activity, estimated at over USD 350 million annually. Unregulated trade and exploitation of wild animals is a risk factors for the emergence and spread of diseases (OIE, 2021), as wild animals serve as intermediate hosts for zoonotic diseases.

It is therefore pertinent that traders of live wildlife, exporters of wildlife products and operators of chop bars and regulatory agencies for the protection and conservation of wildlife species are sensitized to the dangers associated with this trade, especially in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and outbreaks of other priority zoonotic diseases in the country.

To this end, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Breakthrough ACTION project organized this one-day sensitization workshop in three regions (Ashanti, Bono and Bono East) on 24, 25 and 27 January 2023. It will include stakeholders drawn from the Associations of Bush Meat Traders, Hunters and Chop Bar Operators from Kumasi, Techiman and Sunyani; Wildlife Guards, National Parks, and Wildlife Veterinarians from Kumasi zoo. The regulatory bodies responsible for the protection and conservation of wildlife and food safety, officers from the Environmental Health and Sanitation department, human health and animal health as well as the Food and Drug Authority will also take part in the workshop.

During the sensitization, the nature of how emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases originate from wildlife and the possible spread from wildlife to domestic animals and ultimately to humans will be discussed. 

FAO creates awareness for actors in the bush meat value chain

A total of 45 participants in each of the three regions will have the opportunity to discuss how emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases originate in wildlife and the possible transmission from wildlife to domestic animals and thus ultimately to humans.  Facilitators will create awareness of the benefits of consuming bush meat and the economic benefits of trade in wildlife animals and products, recognizing the associated public health risks due to 

The COVID-19 pandemic, Mpox (monkeypox), and Marburg virus disease are believed to have originated from wildlife. At the end of these advocacy sessions, the actors of the bush meat value chain will improve their understanding of the measures to prevent the spillover of zoonotic diseases from wildlife-associated bush meat handling, trade and consumption.