WACPAW leads Tamale abattoir clean-up to boost meat hygiene and animal welfare with Eyes on Animals, End Plastic Soup, and Ummy Relief Foundation

The West Africa Centre for the Protection of Animal Welfare (WACPAW) has spearheaded a comprehensive clean-up exercise at the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly abattoir to enhance meat hygiene and public safety.

Conducted in collaboration with Eyes on Animals, End Plastic Soup, and the Ummy Relief Foundation, and supported by the Tamale Metropolitan Environmental Health Directorate, the initiative aimed to improve sanitary conditions, promote environmental safety, and raise awareness about animal welfare among butchers and consumers.

Addressing participants during the exercise, WACPAW Director Mr Abdul Rahman Safian emphasised the critical role of a clean environment in safe meat processing.

He noted that the majority of meat supplied to markets in the region comes from the Tamale facility and highlighted the challenges its current state poses to meat hygiene and public health. “As an organisation committed to the welfare of people and animals, we believe that the environment where our meat is processed must be clean and safe,” Mr Safian said, urging butchers to handle animals humanely and maintain personal and environmental cleanliness.

Mr Abdul Rashid Wumpini Alhassan, Executive Director of Ummy Relief Foundation and West Africa Director for Rotary’s End Plastic Soup initiative, voiced concerns over rising plastic pollution in the city, highlighting the risk of microplastics and nanoplastics entering the food chain through meat.

He stressed that educating butchers on sanitation and its impact on meat quality is vital, calling for greater collaboration among abattoirs to sustain hygiene practices across the region.

The Secretary of the Tamale Butchers Association, Mr Abdul Rashid Mumuni, thanked WACPAW and its partners for the intervention and committed to implementing the lessons learned during the exercise to ensure improved meat hygiene and safety.