The Ghana Veterinary Medical Association (GVMA) has said mass departure abroad, by local veterinary doctors is threatening the survival and sustainability of Ghana’s food systems, livestock value chain and weakening the fight against zoonotic diseases.
President of the GVMA, Dr Joseph Abuh, speaking at the 51st AGM of the GVMA in Accra, said though the situation has been persisting since the implementation of the single spine salary structure, the mass migration became worse as a result of deteriorating salaries, with no additional allowances or incentives in the last five years.
“Our members leave en masse to Australia, UK, New Zealand and to other countries without hesitation when such positions come begging. This does not portend well in the foreseeable future”, Dr Abuh said.
Explaining further, he noted that the modus operandi is simple, adding: “most young veterinary doctors, upon graduation from school, join the Veterinary Council and the GVMA, get a year working experience and leave to work abroad.”
“The country uses its resources to train these experts and they leave to serve other nations. This is not the best for our slaughter houses, the country’s borders and the entire livestock sector” Dr Abuh expressed worryingly.
The numbers
There is currently a disproportionate number of veterinary officer across Ghana, as the entire country have only 83 veterinary doctors against the required 700.
A chunk of these doctors are deployed to the Wildlife Division and the Fisheries Commission, according to the GVMA.
For instance, there is only one veterinary technician stationed at the Elubo boarder – who also rotates between other key stations in the Western zone.
This phenomenon, the GVMA, said is making the country susceptible as entry point for animal diseases, as surveillance wanes and monitoring dwindles due to inadequate number of veterinarians.
Data from the GVAM indicates that Ghana graduates about 85 veterinary doctors annually, from the University of Ghana and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
The risks
Indeed, the inadequate veterinary experts could have dire implications and affect the country’s health system due to the threats of ever-increasing zoonotic disease among humans.
For instance, avian influenza (Bird Flu) is an ongoing concern across the country, with repeated poultry outbreaks since 2007, leading to bird losses and requiring strict biosecurity.
In late 2024, the country reported its first human avian influenza case, a mild infection in a child at the border with Burkina Faso, highlighting zoonotic risks.
Ghana faces significant zoonotic disease threats on its boarders, with key priorities including Rabies, Anthrax, Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (Ebola, Lassa, and Yellow Fever, Marburg).
The rest include Avian Influenza, Zoonotic Tuberculosis, and Trypanosomiasis, driven by close human-animal contact from livestock farming, bushmeat consumption, and wildlife interaction.
Source: BFT
