As part of the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and within the interest in the health sector of horses towards strengthening the position of the Kingdom of Bahrain among the ranks of developed countries, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has declared the Kingdom of Bahrain free of equine plague.
This declaration and accreditation strengthened the position of the Kingdom of Bahrain in maintaining the health status of horses, in light of the interest and support that this sector enjoys from His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and his constant endeavour to contribute to the realisation of Vision 2030 by gaining international recognitions.
On the occasion, HE Shaikh Duaij bin Salman Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Horse Care Affairs Authority, congratulated His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and expressed gratitude and appreciation to their endless care and support to this sector.
A certificate proving the absence of the disease in the Kingdom was recently handed over by Dr Monique Eloit, Director General of the OIE, to Dr Fajer Al Salloom, Director of Animal Wealth and Delegate of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the World Organisation for Animal Health.
The handover of the certificate came during the organisation’s 98th annual conference 2022, which was held at the OIE headquarters in Paris this year, where the vote was taken and the report was approved by the 182 members of the organization, declaring that the Kingdom of Bahrain is free of equine plague disease.
On the occasion, Shaikh Duaij said: “This recognition comes after the Kingdom of Bahrain’s file was passed and it was accepted by the OIE’s Scientific and Veterinary Committee, which includes a number equine diseases’ experts, and which confirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain’s file has successfully met all health requirements and standards that are a prerequisite for the approval of any country within the list of countries free of equine plague disease. The Kingdom of Bahrain has been free of this disease for more than 50 years. This is confirmed by annual medical examinations conducted on a large number of horses.”
“Additionally, this international recognition contributes to facilitating the movement of Bahraini horses between different regions of the world and reducing quarantine periods for horses, and reducing the financial cost and effort on the horses and their owners,” he added.
Shaikh Duaij extended his thanks and appreciation to everyone who worked on the file, which won international merit, praising the efforts of the Animal Wealth Directorate, represented by the Undersecretary for Animal Resources Dr Khalid Ahmed Hassan and Dr Al Salloom.
Furthermore, Shaikh Duaij commended the efforts of Mr Yusuf Al Isa, CEO of the Horse Care Affairs Authority, for his diligent follow-up to prepare all the information and requirements for the Bahraini technical team that supervised the preparation of the file, appreciating all members of the Authority’s Board of Directors for their efforts and constructive recommendations in the preparation of the file.