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Source: http://www.bworldonline.com/BW091208/content.php?id=053
The Economy
BY NEIL JEROME C. MORALES
Vet services to prevent emerging diseases, facilitate trade
VETERINARY SERVICES are needed to prevent and control emerging animal diseases and facilitate local trade and exports, officials of an animal health organization said in a seminar yesterday.
Regional officials of the World Organization for Animal Health (known for its French acronym OIE) urged the government to improve vaccinations, laboratory quality assurance, quarantines, and early detection and treatment of diseases.
Effective veterinary services will also cut the risk from deadly animal diseases that are transmitted to humans, Gardner Murray, president of the OIE Regional Commission for Asia, Far East and Oceania, said in an interview.
He said three-quarters of diseases that had come up in the past two decades, which include the influenza virus subtype H5N1, human immunodeficiency virus, ebola hemorrhagic fever, rabies and severe acute respiratory syndrome, had come from animals and were transmitted to humans. "I see this risk increasing unless you have very good veterinary services to prevent diseases," Mr. Murray said.
"People are realizing the growing importance of veterinary services particularly now that it relates to human health," Polly K. Cocks, veterinary professor at the Murdoch University in Perth, Australia, said in a separate interview.
"Veterinary services have to be strengthened in order for any country to be ready and prepared [for] emergencies [involving] new and emerging diseases," Ronello C. Abila, OIE regional coordinator for the Southeast Asian Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Control and Eradication Campaign, told BusinessWorld.
"The only way for the government to detect early and control emerging animal disease is to have strong veterinary services," said Mr. Abila, a former chief of the Animal Health Division of the Bureau of Animal Industry.
He said the OIE had evaluated the country?s veterinary services in May, and the report was sent to a committee of the OIE. The body will come out with the results at the end of the month, Mr. Abila said.
"[The evaluation] will tell the Philippine government that it should invest in veterinary services or go to the World Bank or Asian Development Bank [for funding]," Mr. Murray said.
"Unless your veterinary services are world class, it is difficult to export to world markets," he pointed out.
The local livestock sector had lost about P2.3 billion from 1995 to 2005 because of foot and mouth disease. The OIE bans exports of hog products from Luzon, the only Philippine area not yet certified as FMD-free.
"You can immediately improve profitability in farms by reducing diseases. And when you have a profitable industry, the economic situation improves," Mr. Murray added.
Meanwhile, Ms. Cocks said better veterinary services would ensure food security, trade and human health.
Results of a preliminary evaluation by the OIE on veterinary services of developing countries in Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia showed inadequate funding, lack of coordination between the public and private sectors and absence of veterinary legislation and enforcement as key problems, Mr. Abila said.
"The big challenge with any veterinary service is to make sure enough resources are provided to maintain quality service," Mr. Murray said.
"You cannot have a good emergency program if you do not have funding. And that is very difficult because there are so many [government] priorities," Mr. Abila said. Other challenges include limited technical capability of field workers and the limited capacity to develop strategic plans, including emergency preparedness and contingency plans.
The Economy
BY NEIL JEROME C. MORALES
Vet services to prevent emerging diseases, facilitate trade
VETERINARY SERVICES are needed to prevent and control emerging animal diseases and facilitate local trade and exports, officials of an animal health organization said in a seminar yesterday.
Regional officials of the World Organization for Animal Health (known for its French acronym OIE) urged the government to improve vaccinations, laboratory quality assurance, quarantines, and early detection and treatment of diseases.
Effective veterinary services will also cut the risk from deadly animal diseases that are transmitted to humans, Gardner Murray, president of the OIE Regional Commission for Asia, Far East and Oceania, said in an interview.
He said three-quarters of diseases that had come up in the past two decades, which include the influenza virus subtype H5N1, human immunodeficiency virus, ebola hemorrhagic fever, rabies and severe acute respiratory syndrome, had come from animals and were transmitted to humans. "I see this risk increasing unless you have very good veterinary services to prevent diseases," Mr. Murray said.
"People are realizing the growing importance of veterinary services particularly now that it relates to human health," Polly K. Cocks, veterinary professor at the Murdoch University in Perth, Australia, said in a separate interview.
"Veterinary services have to be strengthened in order for any country to be ready and prepared [for] emergencies [involving] new and emerging diseases," Ronello C. Abila, OIE regional coordinator for the Southeast Asian Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Control and Eradication Campaign, told BusinessWorld.
"The only way for the government to detect early and control emerging animal disease is to have strong veterinary services," said Mr. Abila, a former chief of the Animal Health Division of the Bureau of Animal Industry.
He said the OIE had evaluated the country?s veterinary services in May, and the report was sent to a committee of the OIE. The body will come out with the results at the end of the month, Mr. Abila said.
"[The evaluation] will tell the Philippine government that it should invest in veterinary services or go to the World Bank or Asian Development Bank [for funding]," Mr. Murray said.
"Unless your veterinary services are world class, it is difficult to export to world markets," he pointed out.
The local livestock sector had lost about P2.3 billion from 1995 to 2005 because of foot and mouth disease. The OIE bans exports of hog products from Luzon, the only Philippine area not yet certified as FMD-free.
"You can immediately improve profitability in farms by reducing diseases. And when you have a profitable industry, the economic situation improves," Mr. Murray added.
Meanwhile, Ms. Cocks said better veterinary services would ensure food security, trade and human health.
Results of a preliminary evaluation by the OIE on veterinary services of developing countries in Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia showed inadequate funding, lack of coordination between the public and private sectors and absence of veterinary legislation and enforcement as key problems, Mr. Abila said.
"The big challenge with any veterinary service is to make sure enough resources are provided to maintain quality service," Mr. Murray said.
"You cannot have a good emergency program if you do not have funding. And that is very difficult because there are so many [government] priorities," Mr. Abila said. Other challenges include limited technical capability of field workers and the limited capacity to develop strategic plans, including emergency preparedness and contingency plans.