Vientiane – Today the Department of Livestock and Fisheries (DLF) and FAO are officially closing the avian influenza project Building Capacity at the Grass-roots Level to Control Avian Influenza. Funded by the Government of Germany, the project formed part of the FAO AI programme in Laos and assisted DLF in the prevention and control of Avian Influenza from April 2006 to May 2009.

The project implemented activities in high risk-areas of 10 provinces at community, district and provincial levels as well as at central level.

At national level, a Veterinary Law was approved in July 2008 by the National Assembly, supporting veterinarians in implementing prevention and control measures in animal health. Also two full-scale field simulation exercises were carried out involving all relevant technical animal health staff in order to prepare for national and provincial rapid response, contingency planning workshops.

At the provincial and district levels, around 200 livestock staff were trained per year on avian influenza, active and passive surveillance, disease investigation, epidemiology and the use of rapid test as well as and training of trainers for the village veterinary workers (VVW).

At the community level, the village veterinary workers network was strengthen through poultry diseases and avian influenza training of 4 257 VVWs of which 40 percent women (the highest percentage of women VVW in the region) and conducting and Avian Influenza refresher training including training on pig diseases for more than 1 500 of these VVWs.

As a result, 2 215 villages have now village veterinary workers with stronger knowledge and better understanding of animal diseases, thereby covering more than 30 percent of all villages in the 10 project target provinces. Last but not least, wide community awareness was achieved by reaching 75 655 farmers in 737 villages through an information campaign on avian influenza, bio-security, concrete prevention advices, control measures and hygiene practices.

D. Ricarda Mondry, chief technical adviser of the FAO Avian Influenza Programme in Lao PDR explained that “all the implemented activities were in line with the National Avian Influenza Control and Pandemic Preparedness Plan (2006-2010) and that close cooperation and collaboration with the National Animal Health Center (NAHC) and the Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Offices (PAFO) were key factors to the successful implementation of the activities.”

Today, the project handed over essential equipments to the DLF for the continuity of the activities: 5 cars (3 cars will be especially assigned to NAHC for surveillance and animal disease outbreak response); 6 solar fridges/freezers to ensure cold chain in districts without electricity; 2 autoclaves and 2 bio-safety cabinets essential for testing the virus in the national laboratory; as well as computers and LCDs.
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Dr Bounlom Douangneun, Director of the National Animal Health Center and National Project Director of the project confirmed that “The Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus is a priority for the Lao Government, since its apparition in the country in January 2004. MAF, with support of FAO, has reacted promptly to prevent and control the Avian Influenza virus. The NAHC will continue to implement prevention activities and remains alert and ready to control outbreaks.”

Another DLF/FAO project, funded by the Government of the United States of America, will continue to carry out activities like bio-security improvement, cross-border study, active surveillance, laboratory and epidemiology support.

“As a result of three intensive years, FAO and the NAHC can announce that the capacity in early disease detection, reporting and rapid disease control, have been greatly enhanced. Lao PDR is today in a better position than in 2005 to prevent and rapidly control bird flu outbreaks” said Dr. Ricarda Mondry.