We are the Veterinary Services Directorate(VSD), one of the seven Technical Directorates of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA). VSD was created in 1999 in response to Civil Service Law (PNDC Law 135 of 1985) that requires for VSD within the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA).

The Directorate has three main units namely:

Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Unit
Veterinary Public Health and Regulatory Unit
Epidemiology Unit

VISION

The Mission of the Veterinary Services Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture is to ensure a stable animal health situation through the provision of quality services by both public and private sectors to enhance livestock production and productivity

MISSION

OBJECTIVES

To accomplish its mission the Veterinary Services Directorate pursues the following objectives:

Provide animal health services for the national livestock in order to further the expansion of the livestock industry in the country.
Protect public health by controlling animal diseases communicable to human beings and to alleviate suffering among animals.
Protect the health and safety of pet and zoological animals

FUNCTIONS

The Veterinary Services Directorate is also responsible for the following:

Planning for emergencies and reporting to international bodies.
General formulation of animal health development policies.
Creation of the enabling environment for the private sector participation the industry
Liaises with and monitors the activities of private veterinary clinics to ensure they provide quality animal health care to their clients.

ACTIVITIES

To achieve its objectives the Veterinary Services Directorate created specialized units through which it carries its disease control activities. These are:

Epidemiology Unit:
This unit studies the dynamics of health/ill health processes in the livestock and poultry industry. It investigates causes of diseases and their spread in space and time. The activities of this unit are aimed at problem solving and decision or policy making at livestock and poultry population level.

Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Unit:
Responsible for the control of tsetse flies and trypanosomiasis throughout the country.

Veterinary Public Health and Regulatory Unit

Ante-mortem and post-mortem meat inspection.
Control of zoonoses; organization of anti-rabies vaccination campaigns, control of tuberculosis and brucellosis, through regular testing of herds, control of anthrax through vaccination and public education.
Liaison role between the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ministry of Health with regards to diseases common to man and animals.

Monitoring and enforcement of regulations on import and export of livestock and poultry products.
Public education on the impact of veterinary and other agricultural activities on human health.

SERVICES

Laboratory Services:
The most important role of the veterinary diagnostic laboratories is the provision of diagnostic services as well as technical support for animal health extension staff and the rural farmer. These include the following:

Differential diagnosis and sample submission to world reference laboratories.
Serological surveillance and testing.
Training in disease recognition and confirmation.
Advice on sample collection, processing and submission.
Training of laboratory Technicians.
Vaccine production:

I-2 Newcastle disease vaccine for rural poultry.
Anthrax spore vaccine.
Blackleg vaccine.

Research- problem solving research: Currently the laboratory in collaboration with the Animal Research Institute is developing a vaccine to protect sheep and goats against heartwater, a disease which causes high mortality amongst sheep and goats. Preliminary results are positive and very encouraging.