International workshop on Wildlife Health

Strategic planning workshop on “Wildlife Health Capacity in Nepal" was held on Feb. 6 to 8, 2016 in collaboration with Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU), University of California Davis, USA and WWF, Hariyo Ban. Inaugural session was chaired by DG DNPWC Mr. Fanindra Raj Kharel and Chief guest was Hon’ble Minister of Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation  Mr. Agni Prasad Sapkota, Special guest was Mr. Uday Chandra Thakur, Secretary MoFSC. Key note speech was given by Dr. Richard Kock from Royel Veterinary College, UK.

Dr. Richard Kock from UK, Dr. Gretchen Kaufman, Dr. Joseph Gaydos, Dr. Christine Johnson and Dr. Deborah from USA have attended the workshop. Delegates from USAID, WWF, FAO, NZFHRC, DLS, DNPWC, NARC, NVC, AHD, AHTCS, EDCD, PAHS, BCN, CMDN, NTNC, HICAST, AFU etc. attended the workshop. Altogether 60 participants contributed the workshop to make it grand success !

VC of AFU Prof. Dr. I. P. Dhakal worked as key driver to organize this workshop. In the workshop, Prof. Dhakal emphasized the cross species emerging infectious diseases and need of wildlife health professionals to capacitate the disease diagnostic service and study need to reduce the disease transmission ecology among domestic animals, wildlife and people. He also added that AFU will plan for national wildlife disease surveillance for the detection of zoonotic diseases in wildlife and support government to access need of wildlife health management program and their willingness to provide support for wildlife health capacity in the country.

This workshop focused on education and training, major diseases of wildlife, domestic animal and people, wildlife trade and captive animal management. Two committees are formed to develop report and for the advocacy of the workshop outcome.  First committee is composed of on the co-ordinatorship of Dr. Bhumi Nand Devkota with  Dr. Doj Raj Khanal from NARC and Dr. Naresh Subedi from NTNC as the members. Second committee is for advocacy which is formed on the co-ordinatorship of NVC Chair Dr. Dhana  Raj Ratala with members from AFU Prof. I. P. Dhakal and Zudy Oglethorpe from WWF Hariyoban. The advocacy group will convince 3 different Ministries such as MoFC, MoH and Ministry of Livestock Development for the implementation of the strategic plan.