FAO and China join forces to reduce the risk of cross-border animal disease
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has entered into a three-way partnership with China and five other countries in Southeast Asia to limit the spread of trans-boundary animal diseases.
The veterinary mission is concentrated in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), a part of Asia that includes Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Veterinary institutes and animal health authorities will work along with Chinese and FAO experts to limit the damage animal diseases including those with high economic impacts such as Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and swine diseases, including Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome (PRRS) and Classical Swine Fever (CSF). These diseases and their spread, particularly from FMD, have amounted to billions of dollars in losses annually for the region. In one study, the benefits of an effective FMD control and eradication programme in Southeast Asia were estimated to exceed US$ 70 million.
Also, approximately 65% of the world’s pig population is concentrated in Asia and with an increasing demand for pork and pork products in the region, the socio-economic impact of swine diseases is higher than ever before.
China is the most important partner for FAO's programmes in the region, with a trust fund of $80 million. "There is clearly a need to move forward with increased trans-boundary animal disease control in this region, and FAO is very pleased to be working with China and the GMS countries to help control the spread of transboundary animal diseases", said Kundhavi Kadiresan, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific.
The new project, valued at roughly US$ 3 million, will involve the Ministries of Agriculture from China and the other five GMS countries. The work will include a programme of vaccination, animal movement control, quarantine, public awareness campaigns, enhanced surveillance and reporting and coordination among trading partners. Recently, Vietnam announced its first shipment of fresh pork to Myanmar.
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