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The National Directorate of Animal Health of Panama’s Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) received a technical mission from the International Regional Organization for Agricultural Health (OIRSA) as part of cooperation efforts aimed at strengthening animal health in the country.
The technical meetings were held at the central facilities in Río Tapia and at the Regional Animal Health Laboratory in Divisa, with the participation of Dr. Lester Reyes, Acting National Director of Animal Health at MIDA, along with department heads, program managers, and technical staff.
One of the main topics addressed was the Animal Health Epidemiological Surveillance System (SIVESA), a tool that is part of the country's health management modernization process. The parties reviewed the progress made and opportunities to strengthen its implementation in the regional offices, as well as developing training sessions for officials who will use the platform.
The agenda also included technical sessions on record quality, the use of health information, and risk analysis, with the aim of standardizing epidemiological surveillance processes in different regions of the country.
Representing OIRSA were the regional director of Animal Health, Dr. Abelardo De Gracia; Doctors Karen Sermeño and Verónica Aguilar, from the Regional Directorate of Animal Health; and Eng. Álvaro Ángulo, head of Information Technology.
At the close of the mission, both parties reviewed the agreements reached and defined the next steps to ensure the continuation of technical cooperation. MIDA reaffirmed its commitment to modernizing official veterinary services through ongoing human resource training and strengthening national animal health surveillance systems.
September 1, 2026/ Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA)/ Panama.
https://mida.gob.pa/
