Background

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been recognized since the late 19th century as a serious viral disease affecting poultry, and, on rare occasions, humans. Over the last ten years, the emergence of the H5N1 strain of the virus has become a major concern as a possible trigger for a deadly global pandemic of human influenza.

FAO’s emergency role in combating avian influenza

FAO’s leitmotif is “Fight the disease at source” - that is, in birds.

With the outbreaks of H5N1 suddenly becoming more widespread across Southeast and South Asia in 2003-2004, FAO established the Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) in December 2004 to respond to the crisis. HPAI continued to spread to African and European countries in 2005 and 2006.
Leveraging the emergencies expertise of the Emergency Operations and Rehabilitation Division, along with the technical expertise of FAO’s Animal Health Division, ECTAD launched an immediate response to funnel human and material support to infected countries.

ECTAD’s ongoing activities in more than 130 countries worldwide include:

• bolstering national laboratories of countries with weak infrastructure by supplying international expertise, laboratory equipment, veterinary supplies, and training of laboratory personnel to strengthen capacity to deal with HPAI
• strengthening disease monitoring networks and information-gathering and sharing from the local to the national level to help combat HPAI - when laboratories lack the capacity to carry out epidemiological investigations in-country, ECTAD facilitates the shipping of virus samples to international reference laboratories
• strengthening of regional institutional networks to encourage a combined front in fighting HPAI.

Further, in countries experiencing outbreaks, ECTAD's rapid response unit, the Crisis Management Centre – Animal Health, is on call to help with technical support and advice in culling, biosecurity, control and disinfection operations.

Technically, ECTAD also advises national governments on vaccination strategies, whether to do so and how, depending on each country’s circumstances.

ECTAD’s Socioeconomics Unit has undertaken studies of different national and provincial contexts to help fight HPAI while keeping the lives of the poor and their livelihoods and development at the forefront. Its Communication Unit facilitates strategic thinking, capacity-building, research and policy advocacy on animal health communication, and supports local initiatives on disease awareness and promoting best practices.