Veterinary Services warns against development on anthrax burial site in Tarkwa

By Erica Apeatua Addo 

Tarkwa (W/R), July 17, GNA – The Veterinary Services Department for the Western and Western North Regions has raised concerns over attempts by the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Assembly to develop a commercial facility on portions of the Tarkwa Veterinary Investigation Farm. 

Speaking at a press conference in Tarkwa, the Regional Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Simon Gbene, said the affected area contains anthrax burial sites where carcasses of infected animals were safely interred in May 2024. 

He cautioned that disturbing the burial grounds posed a significant public health risk. 

“International veterinary and public health protocols require that anthrax burial sites remain undisturbed for up to 100 years because the spores can survive in the soil for decades. Any disturbance of these sites could have catastrophic consequences for both human and animal health,” Dr. Gbene stated. 

Dr. Gbene, a Veterinary Medical Public Health Specialist and one of the professionals who contributed to Ghana’s COVID-19 response, described the proposed development as an imminent threat requiring urgent intervention to avert an avoidable public health disaster. 

He further stated that the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Assembly had no legal title to the Veterinary Investigation Farm, adding that its continued attempts to develop the land raised serious legal concerns alongside the public health risks. 

According to him, despite formal advice from the Principal State Attorney for the Western Region highlighting these concerns, the Assembly had continued activities on the land. 

Dr. Gbene appealed to the Ministry of Local Government, the Ministry of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, the security services, journalists, civil society organisations, and the general public to support efforts to protect the facility and prevent a potential tragedy. 

“The safety of our people must always take precedence over commercial interests,” he said. 

GNA   

Edited by Justina Hilda Paaga /Audrey Dekalu 

Reporter Erica Apeatua Addo / [email protected]