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International Workshop on China HPAI Prevention and Control Policy, April 21-24, Beijing, P. R. China
 

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is a highly virulent poultry disease that has spread in several areas of the world and continues to represent a significant hazard from the human and veterinary public health point of view. It is of general knowledge that, thanks to the coordinated efforts from the Human and Veterinary public Health Services, the incidence of this disease has decreased in all those countries that were affected. The current epidemiological results suggest that there is an encouraging situation regarding the control and eradication of HPAI, provided the surveillance continues to be based in sound scientific principles. Unfortunately, the positive results obtained in the containment of this disease during the last year might provide some elements to the governments and donor agencies to change the status of this disease from being an emergency to a less severe status. This trend has prompted several governments and international agencies to promote the evaluation of alternatives to try to continue strict surveillance and other control measures but, at the same time to make use of economically more efficient surveillance systems. For instance, in June 2007, the delegates to a HPAI UN (FAO/WHO)/OIE technical workshop concluded that HPAI eradication required a long term strategy from countries in where the virus is entrenched, such as China, and recommended a shift away from an emergency focus to a longer term approach to control of this disease. Based on the experiences in China and elsewhere with this disease in the past 3 to 4 years, it is likely that some of the emergency can be modified to move towards a longer term approach to this disease, to facilitate its control and to reduce the cost of control. These modifications are to be done in a scientifically sound and manner to assess the positive and negative effects of control and preventive measures biosecurity and compartmentalization before they are implemented. At the end of April 2008, an international workshop on China HPIA prevention and control policy was held in Beijing, China. This workshop was hosted by the Foreign Economic Cooperation Centre (FECC) and the China Animal Health and Epidemiology Centre (CAH EC) and supported by the World Bank (WB) and FAO. Mr. Zhou Qingjiang, DDG F ECC; Dr. Zhang Hong, DDG, Veterinary Bureau, MOA; Mr. Luo Ming, DD, International Cooperation, MOA; Dr. Wang Shiyong from WB, Dr. Vincent Martin from FAO and Dr. Molly Brady from USAID opened the workshop making emphasis in the importance of science and policy in the control and surveillance of HPIA and at the same time they praised the positive results obtained in China. They also made reference to the necessity to continue with the surveillance of HPIA and also encouraged the policy makers to find out economically efficient ways to sustain the positive results obtained during the past few years on the control of avian influenza. The presence of several outstanding experts in HPAI both, Chinese and foreigners, made this workshop an impressing opportunity to get updated information regarding the current global situation, the progress and challenges related to the epidemiology of HPAI. Dr. Roger Morris (Massey University, New Zealand) summarized very clearly the key epidemiological factors to achieve effective control of avian influenza, Dr. Huang Baoxu (CAH EC) updated the audience in relation to the Chinese HPAI control policy and the WB HPAI research Project operation, Dr. S Weber (USAID) gave an overview of the principles and practices of compartmentalization. Dr. Mary Ann Franco-Dixon (FAO) made a concise economic analyses of HPAI. Dr. Vincent Martin made a presentation related to FAO’s activities promoting HPIA control and surveillance. Dr. John Weaver and Dr. Jeffrey Gilbert (FAO) presented experiences about the HPAI control and surveillance in Indonesia and Vietnam, respectively. Dr Wei Xinjie summarized the poultry farming system and practices in China. Dr. Les Sims (Australia) addressed the current global situation with HPAI and its progress and challenges. The different sessions were chaired by Mr. Tang (FECC), Dr. Vincent Martin (FAO), Dr. Huang Baoxu (CAHEC) and Dr. Guo Fusheng (FAO). Closure remarks were given by Dr. Vincent Martin (FAO) and Mr. Fu DDG CAHEC. Dr. Theresa Boyle (USDA) and Dr. Javier Burchard (LHESP/ CCADP) were invited observers. The challenging format of this workshop namely, presentations, discussion sessions, plenary sessions and a recommendation session provided a remarkable environment for participation and contribution to promote the formulation of modern and science based policies. The themes for the discussion sessions where: 1. AI Epidemiology, Surveillance and Laboratory Diagnosis (Chair Dr. R. Morris), 2. Vaccination, Culling, and Movement Control (Chair Dr. L. Sims), 3. Bio-security and Other Prevention and Control Measures (Chair Dr. J Weber). After two days of an outstanding series of presentations and open and realistic discussion sessions a series of recommendations related to the development of National and Provincial work plans, stamping out, disease surveillance, vaccination, disease investigations, ducks reared outdoors and quails; and farm biosecurity and compartmentalization were produced.

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