FAO congrats Indonesia for its strategy on AI
In a decade, Indonesia has managed to reduce the number of bird flu outbreaks by more than 80%, according to data recorded by the Government and international organizations such as FAO and OIE. The Ministry of Agriculture noted that the annual number of poultry avian influenza outbreaks dropped from 2,751 in 2007 to 476 in 2018.
Considering the results, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) expressed appreciation to the Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health Services of the Ministry of Agriculture for its success in controlling Avian Influenza (AI), popularly known as 'bird flu'.
"FAO has supported the Government’s avian influenza control program since 2006. Throughout the 13 years of collaboration, we acknowledge the continuous decline in the number of avian flu cases," said FAO Representative to Indonesia and Timor Leste Stephen Rudgard during a meeting with the Director General of Livestock and Animal Health Services, Dr I Ketut Diarmita.
The country was affected by AI since 2003 and started to work on a national strategy for this issue 3 years later. Currently, bird flu control is focused on improving farm biosecurity, disease prevention through flock vaccination and certification of compartments as free from Avian Influenza. Another element of the program supports monitoring the dynamics of bird flu viruses circulating in the field to produce effective local poultry vaccines to protect farmers’ flocks.
This strategy has succeeded in reducing Avian Flu cases on farms and certifying commercial farms as AI-free compartments. AI-free certification makes Indonesian poultry products exportable to several Asian countries said Ketut. "Countries like Japan, which have very high animal health requirements, will accept Indonesian poultry products in recognition of Indonesian animal health and food safety guarantees," he added, according to Tempo newspaper.
Team Leader of the FAO Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases (FAO ECTAD Indonesia) James McGrane said that the close collaboration between the Government of Indonesia and FAO should be continued under a new Emerging Disease Threats program to guarantee long-term sustainable impact.
"The continuation of this international cooperation will strengthen Indonesia's capacity to protect people and their livelihoods from transboundary animal disease threats," McGrane said.
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