COSALFA 52 kicks off in Guyana, boosting regional cooperation to consolidate foot-and-mouth disease health status across the Americas

The President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, and the Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, opened the session.

Georgetown, Guyana - April 22, 2026 - The 52nd Ordinary Meeting of the South American Commission for the Fight Against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (COSALFA) began today in Georgetown, Guyana, at a decisive moment for the Region of the Americas, which is advancing toward the final stage of eradicating foot-and-mouth disease.

The opening ceremony was attended by the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, and the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha, who reaffirmed the country's commitment to animal health, food security, and regional cooperation.

The 52nd meeting, organized by the Pan American Foot-and-Mouth Disease Center and Veterinary Public Health (PANAFTOSA/SPV) of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), has the key support of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), reflecting the technical and institutional leadership of the host country and the PAHO Office in Guyana.

During the opening ceremony, in a video message, PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa underscored that the Region is at a historic moment: "we are entering the final stage to complete the eradication of foot-and-mouth disease in the Americas," and highlighted the importance of "the participation of all countries in the Region-beyond COSALFA members-in implementing the strategies of the 2026-2030 Action Plan of the Hemispheric Program for the Eradication of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (PHEFA) to protect the regional health status and strengthen preparedness against transboundary risks."

Dr. Barbosa also expressed his gratitude to the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Minister of Agriculture for their leadership and commitment to animal health in the Region, as well as for their decisive support in hosting COSALFA 52.

For his part, President H.E. Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali stated that "the country's traceability systems, combined with advances in molecular diagnostics, position Guyana as a regional reference point for modern, evidence-based animal health management."

Guyana's Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha, emphasized that "for our country, hosting COSALFA 52 is part of our commitment to strengthening veterinary governance, expanding diagnostic capacity, and improving our national surveillance system."

Likewise, the Director of PANAFTOSA and ex officio Secretary of COSALFA, Manuel Sánchez, noted that "our task is not only to complete the remaining steps toward continental eradication, with the inclusion of Venezuela on the list of countries recognized as free by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), but also to safeguard what has already been achieved in an increasingly complex global environment."

This scenario, Dr. Sánchez added, "will only be possible through strong regional cooperation that enhances preparedness for global risks, supported by a mechanism such as COSALFA."

During the first day, delegates from member countries, together with international organizations and private sector representatives, addressed key issues for the future of PHEFA, including the presentation of the new 2026-2030 Action Plan, preparedness for health emergencies in the Caribbean, and the strengthening of response capacities.

Regional coordination in the face of transboundary risks and the post-eradication scenario were also discussed, as well as the first year of operation of the Regional Antigen Bank (BANVACO).

COSALFA 52 will continue tomorrow, Thursday, with the aim of consolidating strategic agreements and defining concrete actions for implementing the 2026-2030 Action Plan of PHEFA.