Department denies that FAO advised declaration of ASF national emergency

A pig breeding facility in Vietnam (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Department of Animal
Health under the (MARD) affirmed on
March 20 that the information carried by some foreign news agencies with the
content “FAO recommends Vietnam to declare (ASF) as a state
of national emergency” is inaccurate.

In fact, the MARD has yet to receive any
recommendations from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United
Nations in Vietnam about this issue, a representative of the department said.

According to the representative, Vietnam has
regulations on when to declare a state of national emergency. Meanwhile across
the world, no countries have been told that must declare the African swine
fever a state of national emergency. China had to destroy over 1 million
infected pigs, but have not had to declare the outbreak a state of national
emergency.

More specifically, this virus is not spread
through humans, so there is no basis to declare it a state of national
emergency, the representative stressed.

The reality is that relevant agencies of Vietnam
from central to local levels are taking drastic measures to prevent and curb
this disease.

The FAO issued recommendations for livestock
farmers in reporting any suspected cases to veterinary agencies and complying
with prevention measures, such as keeping the breeding facilities and means of
transportation clean.

Since the ASF broke out in China in 2018, FAO
has provided technical support for the animal health department of Vietnam to
build a national action plan to put the ASF under control, while evaluating the
risks of the disease and holding emergency response rehearsals in Lao Cai province.

The also held a regional workshop on
preparing measures to tackle ASF for veterinary officials from Vietnam, Laos,
Myanmar, and China to enhance cooperation to stop the spread of the disease in
Southeast Asia.

Pawin Padungtod, Senior Technical Coordinator at
the FAO, said that the UN agency will closely work with Vietnamese ministry’s
agencies to take technical measures to help the country swiftly control this
disease.

According to the animal health department, by
late March 20, the ASF had been recorded in 20 provinces and cities nationwide,
with the most recent outbreaks reported in the northern border province of Lai
Chau.–VNA