The Foreign Economic Cooperation Center (FECC) of the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and LHESP jointly organized the Emergency Management Response Study Tour in Canada from Aug. 29-Sept. 14, 2009. A total of 10 delegates were lead by Mr. Wang Hongwei, Division Chief of Animal Epidemic Situation of China Animal Epidemic Disease Prevention and Control Center. Among the delegation, three other participants were from the Animal Epidemic Situation Division, the Information Management Division, and the Emergency Management Division of China Animal Epidemic Disease Prevention and Control Center of MOA; five delegates were from four LHESP Project Sites that were affected by the May 12, 2008 earthquake (Sichuan Provincial Husbandry Bureau, Sichuan Provincial Animal Health Inspection Institute, Gansu Veterinary Bureau, Shaanxi Provincial Husbandry Bureau, and Wulong County Animal Health Inspection Institute, Chongqing Municipality); and one delegate was from the Qingdao Oriental Animal Health Law Institute. As well, the delegation was assisted by three LHESP staff for interpretation and logistics.

The objectives of the study tour were to improve the capacity of veterinarians through emergency management training in the event of livestock disasters, especially outbreaks of important animal epidemic diseases. The training methodologies included lectures, discussions and exercises that would assist these veterinarians to apply their learning and replicate it in China.

The study tour content consisted of two main components: theoretical understanding of emergency management principles in Canada and field visits to related animal health organizations of the Government of Canada to see how they apply these principles in the event of an animal disease outbreak. All delegates attended a one-week training course from August 31-September 4, 2009 on emergency management at the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) in New Westminster. The course content included knowledge of the Incident Command System, Incident Command Post Operation and Exercise Design and was delivered by three experienced instructors from JIBC. The purpose of the course was to allow delegates to have some general understanding of emergency management concepts in Canada that would provide background knowledge and understanding for the government organizations visits that followed.

The government organization visits included the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Western Area Office in Calgary, Alberta. This office is responsible for agriculture related issues covering 2/3 of Canada including provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Yukon Territories. This office has excellent experience in Emergency Management Response, including Avian Flu and BSE outbreaks. The staff shared their experiences on emergency management in their newly renovated Emergency Operation Center as well as allowing the delegation to step inside a working mobile incident command vehicle to gain more experience.

The next visit was to the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease (NCFAD), located in the Centre, is part of the CFIA. NCFAD provides state-of-the-art scientific expertise and technologies for the prevention, detection, control and reporting of Foreign Animal Disease (FAD). The Centre has diagnostic capabilities for a large number of FADs including African Swine Fever, Vesicular Stomatitis, Foot and Mouth Disease, Hog Cholera and Avian Influenza. NCFAD personnel serve on international committees, and maintain links and collaborations with FAD experts worldwide. At times, they also assist other countries with foreign animal disease outbreaks and will provide advice on the development of foreign animal disease policy. One of the NCFAD's main responsibilities is to provide training in FADs. They offer a specialized annual course that focuses on FAD recognition, diagnosis and pathogenesis (the origins and development of a disease). It is the only facility in Canada that is equipped to present this course. NCFAD operates a Biosafety Level 4 laboratory, which provides the capability to work safely with the most serious diseases. A Level 4 laboratory is designed for dangerous agents that usually produce very serious and often untreatable diseases, which can be spread easily through airborne or casual contact. All animal diseases classed as Level 4 are zoonotic, meaning that they can transfer to humans. Staff wear pressurized biosafety suits which are chemically treated after each session and which remain in the lab area. All air and waste are sterilized on exit.

Although the delegates did not enter the labs, they did have a tour of the whole building to understand its function and infrastructure, especially the hepa-filter system. The delegates also visited the Emergency Operations Centre and had discussions with the staff of the EOC. The centre includes a five-metre-wide video screen along with computers and a bank of telephones. It will allow health officials to hold video-conferences and share computer data with counterparts across the country and with international groups such as the World Health Organization.

Finally, the delegation went to Ottawa and visited the national office of CFIA. After listening to presentations on the function of CFIA, the Canadian Veterinary Reserve, and EOC in Ottawa, delegates had discussions with CFIA staff regarding policy making, information and data collection, recent activities of EOC in Ottawa and its operations. The delegation traveled from west to east across Canada and while they enjoyed the beauty of the country, they also were impressed with the concept and operation of emergency management in Canada. The two-week study tour began with theoretical understanding and ended with practical visits to exchange ideas. Whether through theory or practice, all of the delegates gained a further understanding of emergency management regarding the outbreak of livestock diseases. The follow-up activities will look towards adopting some of the advanced concepts that were learned and adapting them to the Chinese situation.
 

Workshop in CFIA in Ottwa

Workshop in CFIA of western area in Calgary

Training in JIBC-case study

Training in JIBC-group study

Training in JIBC-have picture with dean of JIBC