The surveillance and control of aquatic animal diseases is among the weak links affecting the sustainable expansion of aquatic animal production and safe intra-regional fish trade in Africa. All stakeholders across the fisheries-aquaculture value chain must play an active role in the control of aquatic animal diseases and associated public health and environmental concerns. However, recent studies on aquatic animal disease mapping by the African Union - Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) indicate that there is no functional system linking and coordinating aquatic animal producers, traders, fishery sector and animal health services at both national and regional level. This is impacting negatively on the reporting, biosecurity and trade in compliance with international standards, and leaves the continent in a very precarious situation in the event of outbreaks of emerging diseases.
Fortunately, experiences gained in other regions have demonstrated the value and positive impact of so-called Regional Aquatic Animal Health Networks (RAAHN), such as the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia and the Pacific (NACA), in facilitating the harmonization and reinforcement of animal disease surveillance and control and improving access to markets.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has a long tradition of supporting technical and geographic networks and commissions in the fields of animal health and welfare, often in close collaboration with AU-IBAR. The adoption of its Global Aquatic Animal Health Strategy in May 2021, on the occasion of its 88th General Session, calls for the implementation of key actions and concepts, many of which can best be conducted at regional level, in close partnership with regional partners, in order to improve aquatic animal health and welfare worldwide, contributing to sustainable economic growth, poverty alleviation and food security, thereby supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
By adopting a phased approach, WOAH, in collaboration with AU-IBAR, supported the establishment of two sub-regional aquatic animal health networks, one for North Africa (RAAHN-NA), and one for Southern Africa (RAAHN-SA), arguably the two African sub-regions with the best developed aquaculture sectors and prospects for high impact deriving from the implementation of such coordination networks. In addition, to address the diagnostic capacity constraints of national and regional laboratories, a third network has been established (Regional Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory Network for Africa - RAAHLN-AF), specifically directed at uniting diagnosticians from Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres, with a view of scaling up its range at a later stage.