FIND and partners inaugurate AU-PATTEC advocacy activities

From left to right: H.E. Dr. Elham Ahmed Mahmoud Ibrahim, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy; Dr. John P. Kabayo, PATTEC Coordinator; H.E. Peter Gatkot, State Minister of Transport and Communication; Hon. Major Dr. Haile Gebre Selassie, World Marathon record holder; and Dr. Giorgio Roscigno, FIND CEO, at launch of PATTEC stamps

On 19-20 January 2009, the Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Campaign (PATTEC) office of the African Union (AU) hosted a workshop to finalize work plans for the initiation and promotion of PATTEC activities. To highlight its efforts towards eradication, PATTEC launched four new Ethiopian postage stamps during the opening ceremony, which took place in Addis Ababa.

The two day workshop was convened at the AU Conference Center and attended by at least 40 delegates from Angola, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda.

Representatives from EANETT, ISCTRC, HAT Platform, Free University of Berlin, Vestergaard Frandsen (Denmark), and FIND (Geneva) also participated.

The opening ceremony was set in motion with a short welcome speech by Dr. John Kabayo, the AU-PATTEC Coordinator. This was followed by a brief statement from Dr. Giorgio Roscigno, the CEO of FIND, who gave an overview of his organization's support of PATTEC advocacy activities. A most distinguished supporter of the PATTEC program, Hon Dr. Major Haile Gebre-Selassie, was an honored guest. Mr. Gebre-Selassie is one of the greatest long distance runners in history, breaking 26 world records and winning numerous Olympic and World Championship titles. In his moving speech, Mr. Gebre-Selassie described how trypanosomiasis, also known as Gendi in his local dialect, used to devastate his parents' livestock. He said that he is determined to support the African Union’s efforts to fight this disease and assured the audience with "yichallal", which means "It is possible"...to eradicate the disease from Africa if everyone comes together for this purpose.

During the proceedings, H.E. Dr. Elham Ahmed Mahmoud Ibrahim, AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, read a speech on behalf of the Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, in which she thanked all the stakeholders for their participation and contributions at the workshop. She highlighted the African Union's efforts to reduce poverty and support food security through the control and eradication of livestock diseases from the continent. She further commended PATTEC's progress in drumming up support for their initiative and for their coordination efforts in bringing together AU-member countries. She then invited H.E. Mr. Peter Gatkot, State Minister of Transport and Communication, to officially launch the PATTEC postage stamps.

In his speech, Mr. Gatkot acknowledged the role the new postage stamps will play in promoting eradication activities in all sectors of development. He affirmed that the new Ethiopian stamps, which are being issued with four different serial numbers and which will shortly appear on the market, will serve to draw attention not only to the plight caused by tsetse and trypanosomiasis, but more importantly, to PATTEC's objective of eradication of the disease.

The two day workshop and deliberations was concluded with recommendations aimed at strengthening cooperation between AU-member countries that are endemic for the disease.

• Speech by Haile Gebre-Selassie [pdf], Ethiopian tracks-legend
• Speech by Dr. Elham Mahmoud Ibrahim [pdf], Commissioner, Infrastructure and Energy
• More on HAT advocacy