A press statement by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) said the situation has since been contained with no record of the anthrax disease since June 14, 2023.

“In view of the above and based on expert advice, the ban on the movement of ruminants and donkeys is hereby lifted,” the statement signed by the Minister of Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong said.

Further measures

The Ministry indicated that notwithstanding the lifting of the ban, the slaughtering of all animals should be under close supervision of the veterinary and environmental health officers at designated abattoirs and slaughter slabs.

It warned that food vendors, restaurants and butchers will be arrested and prosecuted for the sale of meat and meat products of animals slaughtered at authorised places.

For precautionary and proactive action, there will be continuous vaccination of animals against the disease as well as intensification of surveillance of animal and human anthrax.

Butchers’ reaction

Reacting to the lifting of the ban in an interview with Graphic Online, the Secretary of the Bolgatanga Butchers Association, Timothy Tembil, said members of the association were delighted that the ban has finally been lifted.

He noted that the ban impoverished the members since the business was their only source of livelihood, saying “with the lifting of the ban, our members can return to business to earn income to better their living standards”.

Background
 
On May 31, 2023, MoFA imposed a ban on the movement of ruminants and donkeys, slaughtering, sale and consumption of meat and meat products in the Binduri District in the Upper East Region.

It followed the confirmation of cases of anthrax, an acute bacteria disease transferable from animals to humans.

Subsequently, a mass vaccination exercise was carried out across the 15 Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) in Upper East in a bid to contain the spread of the disease.

It has, therefore, put together a committee whose mandate is to provide surveillance to ensure livestock imported into the Region are free from the disease and safe for consumption. 

The Chief Butcher of the Abattoir, Mr. Ibrahim Wahab Tikuma said the measures forms part of efforts to ensure that meat products emanating from the abattoir are wholesome and safe for public consumption. 

He said the formation of the committee had also strengthened its quality assurance mechanisms which had always been the hallmark of the abattoir. 

Mr. Tikuma who was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) ahead of the Eid-ul-Adha celebrations, said, the Kumasi abattoir remains the safest place for Muslims to buy their livestock for the festive occasion. 

“This is the centre of distribution of livestock to many parts of the country, so we are making conscious efforts to ensure that animals that are brought here are free from any form of disease,” he said.  

The Chief Butcher said patronage this year seems low compared to previous years. 

He attributed it to the high prices driven by low local production and currency depreciation and called on the government to provide incentives to promote local livestock production. 

He said only 20 per cent of livestock were produced locally with the remaining 80 per cent coming from neighbouring countries, a situation that needed to change to ensure affordable and healthy meat products for Ghanaians. 

Dr. Ernest Boateng, Head of Public Health and a Veterinary Officer at the Kumasi Abattoir, said, no single case of Anthrax had been recorded in the Ashanti Region. 

He urged the public to disregard speculations about Anthrax being recorded in the region, saying that strict measures had been put in place in the interest of public health. 

He assured the public that every livestock that entered the premises of the Abattoir was properly screened. 

Michael Tongban, the Production Manager at the Kumasi Abattoir, said meat from the abattoir was safe for consumption because they went through various tests before being sent to various markets. 

On Adom FM’s Burning Issues, the Deputy Minister outlined the number of affected animals in some areas, adding that Binduri and Talensi districts have the highest number of affected animals.

“So far, over 90 animals have died as a results of the outbreak and over 20,000 animals have been affected. Talensi and Binduri have most affected animals. Talensi has 1,915 cattle, 3,015 sheep, 1,836 goats, 375 pigs which sum up to 7,141.

“Total number of cases at Binduri is 9,485, Bolgatanga Municipal has 2,468 cases. Bawku- west 1957, Bawku municipal has 212, Kasena North East has 1, Bongo district 8 cases, followed by Garu district with 17 cases, bringing the total number of affected animals to 21,000,” the Minister said.

The Deputy Minister said measures have been put in place to contain the outbreak saying “some 200,000 vaccines have been allocated to affected areas with a ban imposed on transferring animals from affected areas to non-affected areas as a way of managing the outbreak.”

A butcher at Tulaku in the Greater Accra Region, Musah Abdulai, who also spoke on the show, predicted possible shortage of meat due to the outbreak of the anthrax disease.

He admitted the fact that some butchers or meat sellers smuggle meat from the north without going through the due process which is very alarming amidst the outbreak.

However, vaccinating the affected animals would cure the animals for safe consumption.

“It’s true some of our colleagues smuggle meat from the north without passing through the due process, but I think vaccinating the animals can cure the anthrax diseases.”

“As Eidul Adha draws near, there may be shortage of meat during the festivity and for that matter we are pleading with the government to put out measures in saving the situation.”

But Head of Lab Veterinary Services, Theophilus Odoom, refuted the butcher’s claims that the vaccine could cure the affected animals, adding that only healthy animals can be vaccinated.

“It is never true the vaccine can cure an infected animal. It’s only healthy animals that can be vaccinated and it’s not safe to consume the meat of affected animals either,” he cautioned.