Veterinary authorities have a significant role in highest decision making related to veterinary health. Such authorities, however, have yet to materialise that will specifically make regulations. This has caused ineffective handling of zoonosis.
“As high as 67 percent of human diseases are caused by animal diseases (zoonosis). So, handling of zoonosis is very important to do. During this time the existing veterinary authorities cannot maximally carry out the task due to different mechanisms of handling between regions,” said former Director General of Farming and Veterinary Health in the Agriculture Ministry, Drh. Prabowo Respatiyo Caturroso, PhD, on Tuesday (19/9) at Faculty of Veterinary Medicine UGM.
Prabowo speaking as moderator in the national seminar themed Implementation of Veterinary Authorities: Review of Institution, Authorities, and Competence of Human Resource to mark the 71st anniversary of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine UGM. Veterinary authorities, said Prabowo, have actually been regulated by Government Regulation No 3 Year 2017, however, the policy has not been implemented in the operational structure and technicalities.
“The system is there, but the structure is yet to find. So, we’re trying to have discussion here that it is important to have a special institution that administers veterinary authorities,” he said.
He emphasised the need for such institution in the national, provincial, and regency/municipal levels to make decision, including status determination of zoonosis, risk analysis of zoonosis, and recommendation to ministers on exotic communicable diseases.
Similary, Vice-Dean of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine UGM, Dr. Agung Budianto, MP., PhD., said this topic was relevant with the recent condition related to handling of health cases caused by zoonosis.
“We raise this issue because the handling is often delayed whereas zoonosis can be fatal with rapid spread that needs rapid decision, too,” he said.
The seminar is expected to produce recommendation to the government for policy that is applicable to related agencies or more specific regulations.
“As many as 130 people participate in the seminar, coming from agencies, practitioners, veterinarians, etc. We will further follow up to the related agencies and give input,” said Munawaroh Budiharjono, MM, event chairman.