Presented by Bouna Diop at the African Swine Fever Diagnostics, Surveillance, Epidemiology and Control Workshop, Nairobi, Kenya, 20-21 July 2011

1. Role of FAO-ECTAD in Transboundary
Disease Surveillance and Control
with special reference to ASF
Bouna Diop
Regional Manager
FAO ECTAD Eastern Africa

2. Content
 FAO work in Animal Health
 FAO ECTAD Role
 Updated status of TADs in Africa
 Recent developments on ASF
 Control of ASF
 New approaches in addressing ASF

3. FAO work in Animal Health
Recent developments
 Decentralization
 Result-based programme management
approach
 FAO Strategic Framework 2010 – 2019
 Food Chain Crisis Management
Framework (FCC) created in July 2010
to streamline the FAO’s response to
food chain emergencies (animal
diseases including aquatic, plant pests
and food safety).

4. FAO work in Animal Health
Recent developments
Animal Health Strategy developed within the FCC to…
“Establish robust, global animal health systems that effectively
manages major health risks that arise from and affect animals,
paying particular attention to the human-animal-ecosystem
interface using the One Health approach, and
.... placing disease dynamics into the broader context of
sustainable agriculture, socio-economic development,
environment protection and sustainability”.

5. FAO’s work in Animal Health
FAO ‘`One Health’’
 Holistic approach to addressing the
threats and reducing the risks of
Animal
emerging, re-emerging and other Health
high-impact diseases. Human
Health
 Collaborative, multisectoral
approach emphasizing cross-
cutting actions which integrate
Ecosystem
animal health, natural resources Health
management, fisheries, forestry,
nutrition, climate change,
agriculture policy and gender to
combat animal-, food- and vector-
borne diseases.

6. FAO ECTAD Role
The Emergency Centre for
the Transboundary Animal
Diseases (ECTAD) was
created in 2004 to...
... plan and deliver FAO’s
support to member countries
in their endeavour to respond
to transboundary animal
health crises.
ECTAD structure includes: animal health, wildlife, socio-economics, farming
systems and communication.

7. FAO ECTAD Role
Through integrated approach embraces enhanced
disease intelligence and emergency response
systems at national, regional and international
levels,
ECTAD works to
 Provide support to member countries in
preventing and controlling TADs during a crisis
through strengthened surveillance, preparedness
and early warning and response activities in
affected, at-risk and newly infected countries
 Support disease control through inter-sectoral
collaboration and strong and stable public
health/animal health services and partnerships

8. FAO ECTAD Role (ctd)
ECTAD work to
 Contribute to policy development and knowledge sharing through
regional networks (EAREN, EARLN) in collaboration with AU-IBAR,
RECs and in the context of the FAO-OIE Global Framework for the
Progressive Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases (GF-TADs)
 Gather and consolidate information on HPAI and other TADs and
support, in close collaboration with other partners
 Strengthen laboratory capacity through various trainings, supply of
equipment and materials, proficiency testing etc
 Provide training in epidemiology, risk based-surveillance, risk
analysis
 Provide adequate response to animal health emergencies in case of
request by National VS in collaboration with by the CMC-AH.

9. FAO ECTAD Role (ctd)
ECTAD work to
 Provide emergency assistance to control of TADs: PPR, RVF, ASF, HPAI etc.
 Review and assess existing animal disease information systems in order to
harmonized information systems using LIMS as a model
 Review quality assurance systems in the central veterinary laboratories
 Assist countries in development of quality manual and subsequent
implementation of QMS
 Assist countries to plan and execute desk top and field simulation exercises
 Undertake scenario based studies into socio-economic and livelihoods
impacts of TADs.
 Etc.

10. Updated status of TADs
 Unprecedented increase in high-impact transboundary animal
diseases (TADs) in the last decade: bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE), Foot and Mouth disease (FMD),
porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), peste
des petits ruminants (PPR), Highly pathogenic avian influenza
(HPAI), Rift valley fever (RVF), Newcastle disease and African
swine fever (ASF).
 These TADs carry economic, social and political consequences
to countries
 These TADs are an impediment to development as they result
in food insecurity, poverty and unsafe foods in the region.

11. Updated status of Tads in Africa

12. Updated status of Tads in Africa

13. Recent development on ASF
 Reoccurrence of ASF in Cameroon, Cape Verde, Kenya,
Tanzania, Malawi, Uganda
 First occurrence in Chad and Central African Republic
 Newly affected countries in eastern Europe: Georgia,
Armenia, Russia Federation, plus incursions in Iran (wild
boar) and Azerbaijan
 Ongoing geographic expansion
 More countries at risk with no previous ASF experience

14. Updated status of ASF in Africa

15. Control of ASF
Main challenges in Africa
 Variety of different pig production systems from the fee-range
system (most common) to commercial large scale farming
 Poor husbandry practices (and lack of detailed knowledge
about husbandry, commercialization chains, slaughtering and
processing)
 ASFV survives well in the environment
 ASF is sub-clinically endemic in warthogs
 No effective treatment or vaccine
 Inadequate capacities of Veterinary services (surveillance,
diagnostic)
 Lack of animal/herd identification and traceability.

16. Control of ASF
Stamping out
 Applicable for new introduction into an area
 Only if outbreak has been detected early and is geographically restricted to a small area
 Only with appropriate communication to affected stakeholders on measures before their
implementation
 Only with appropriate timely compensation
 Only with the pre-allocation of enough resources that can be mobilized timely: trained
personnel, equipment and expendables
 Only with clear pre-defined policy and standard operating procedures on
what/how/when/what to stamp out (definition of epidemiological units, and pig
populations to consider) according to epidemiological situation
 Only with complementary measures like outbreak investigation (incl. tracing back and
forward), movement control, proper disposal of carcasses, cleaning and disinfection of
affected areas and others as applicable
 Only with accompanying measures that reduce risk of re-introduction incl. proper
awareness raising among all stakeholders.

17. Control of ASF
Alternative control measures
 Adequate biosecurity measures according
to the pig production system
 Bio-exclusion is the most appropriate
measure
 High-risk practices to be avoided:
 Direct contact with infected domestic and wild pigs
(wandering)
 Transport of game to village/house
 Feeding pigs with infected residues, not well sterilized
 Slaughter of sick pigs
 Not to burry or burn dead pigs.

18. Control of ASF
Other initiatives
 Development of regional strategy to address ASF in
collaboration with AU-IBAR, OIE and ..ILRI (?) etc
 Pig sector review in Kenya, Burkina Faso, RD Congo
under finalization.

19. New approach in addressing ASF
 Recent disease dynamics in eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa call for a
more concerted approach on ASF
 FAO ready to pick up a facilitator role for a “global alliance on ASF”. This
will be initiated in collaboration with USDA during 1st phase (until spring
2012)
 Main task is the facilitation of harmonization of activities regarding ASF at
international level where needed and desired by partners – the more
stakeholders join the better, everybody is welcome
 Establishment of the FAO secretariat of the global alliance late summer this
year
 Regional focus will be eastern Europe
 2nd phase to start spring 2012 with the intention to widen the geographic
scope to the African continent
 FAO will make sure that initiatives are harmonized with already existing EU
based research groups and initiatives as well other initiatives.

20. THANK YOU