In light of the 50th anniversary of the Department of Animal Health (DAH) within the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), FAO Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) was honoured with the “the Memorial Medal for the development Cause of Viet Nam Agriculture and Rural Development” for supporting the prevention and control of the Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs) since 2006 in Viet Nam. In this event, Wantanee Kalprividh, the Regional Manager of FAO ECTAD Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, received the medal as the representative for the ECTAD Programme.

“It has been such an amazing journey to technically assist the Department of Animal Health, with their dynamic working spirit and professionalism. DAH has significantly outperformed in the region, showing great improvement in the animal health system to detect and respond to various diseases such as avian influenza, FMD, PRRS, rabies and so much more. We hope to continue to collaborate and witness more of DAH’s success in the region. And on this occasion, we would like to reaffirm our technical assistance to DAH-MARD.” stated Wantanee Kalprividh. 

FAO ECTAD Viet Nam and DAH, a history of close collaboration

During DAH’s 50 years of long history, DAH and FAO ECTAD collaboration started in 2006 when ECTAD Viet Nam was established to support the Government of Viet Nam in combatting the spread and entrenchment of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI H5N1). This disease was starting to have significant economic impacts on the poultry sector, affect livelihoods and food security, as well as posing a global pandemic threat. DAH being FAO ECTAD Viet Nam’s main counterpart for the HPAI H5N1 control program, from 2006 through 2011, ECTAD Viet Nam assisted on a range of activities including coordination, capacity building, surveillance, laboratory strengthening and diagnostic capacity, conducting socio-economic and value chain studies, and improving advocacy and risk communication.

As the emergency situation subsided, the ECTAD Viet Nam program transitioned to address broader animal health, animal production, and food safety areas guided by shifting Viet Nam Government priorities. With DAH, the disease prevention and control program expanded to include other priority diseases such as rabies and other high impact animal diseases such as foot and mouth disease (FMD), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), classical swine fever (CSF), and other influenza A viruses including H7N9 and H5N6, to name a few. Currently, FAO ECTAD Viet Nam is focusing on developing DAH capacity for rapid detection of newly introduced influenza viruses, characterization of influenza viruses circulating in Viet Nam and coordinated surveillance for potential pandemic pathogens.  Apart from surveillance, FAO ECTAD Viet Nam collaborate with DAH to strengthening the epidemiology capacity through rolling out AVET (Applied Veterinary Epidemiology Training) and advanced AVET training programs to national epidemiologists, setting up the Longitudinal Influenza Surveillance Network (LISN), and developing a platform for an effective disease reporting mechanism.

Furthermore, FAO is supporting DAH’s collaboration with the human health counterparts such as the General Department of Preventive Medicine (GDPM) within Ministry of Health and the National Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) to implement the One Health initiative, which aims to address human, animal and ecological health in a collaborative cross-sectoral and transdisciplinary manner. Through this approach, ECTAD Viet Nam is contributing to Increasing the resilience of livelihoods to threats and crises, ensuring the sustainability of the animal health and production interventions, and helping eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition.

Contact:

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Ms. Ki Jung Min (Outreach Coordinator)

Email: [email protected]