Abu Dhabi - A comprehensive one-year plan for the avian influenza, worked out by the Food And Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, will be implemented in the UAE, according to Frits Pluimers, FAO's animal health consultant.
In an exclusive statement to Khaleej Times, Pluimers said the plan was designed to provide technical advice to redress any loopholes in the present national plan.
"Technical assistance will include conducting field training for veterinarians, setting up of a body to liaise between them, whether they are working with authorities concerned or the private sector, and rendering the technical support for municipalities and bird farms," he said.
As for laboratories, he noted that although they were many, only one of them was capable of handling bird flu cases. What is needed, he maintained, is to develop it to world class standards by using internationally recognised techniques and specifications.
The FAO expert said the anti-bird flu global strategy comprised five projects covering infected areas in Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe, North America and Central and South Latin America. The prime objective of the strategy, he added, is to alert the whole world to fight the avian flu.
He stressed the need to train poultry farm workers on how to detect suspected cases, adding that expediency is a decisive factor in warding off the disease in addition to swiftly isolating infected areas and their surroundings and killing of infected birds.
He pointed out that the project adopted by the FAO in coordination with the World Health Organisation and International Animal Health Organisation "is so huge and addresses economic development issues worldwide as occurrence of the disease in one country will result in heavy economic losses to it."
This, he said, was exactly what happened to Holland in 2003 when it was forced to destroy 30 million chickens out of a population of 100 million with the Dutch economy incurring 270 million euros in losses following the six-month ban the government had slapped on poultry exports, which represents 70 of local production.
"It is important for us as UN agencies to work on local programmes prepared by countries and incorporate necessary amendments into them as per international standards in this regard," he said.
As for the Gulf region, he indicated that Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and of course the UAE, which has already taken practical measures in this connection, would all join the regional project for combating the disease.
On his visit to the UAE, Pluimers said he was interested in the field tours during which he had talks with poultry producers and officials at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Environment Authority on the positive steps taken and the need to finalise other parts of the job.
He concluded that the only method to resist the killer disease is by killing infected birds since, unlike other animal diseases, there is no vaccine against it.By Atef Hanafi
© Khaleej Times 2005
