China-Viet Nam Agree Cross Border Animal Disease Controls
CHINA/VIET NAM - The Chinese and Vietnamese authorities have reached an agreement over measures to control animal diseases crossing the border between the two countries and to safeguard animal and human health in both countries.The agreement was made at the Second Vietnam and China Bilateral Meeting on Collaboration to Address Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs) and Diseases of Public Health Concern held from 22-24 August in Halong, Vietnam.
The meeting focused on the implementation of the agreement signed by two governments on animal health and animal quarantine as well as the Memorandum of Understanding on Animal Health Cooperation to enhance joint prevention and control of transboundary animal diseases and safeguard animal production and public health in both countries.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Director General of MOA Veterinary Bureau Huang Weizhong and Director General of Department of Animal Health of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam (MARD) Pham Van Dong.
During the meeting, the two sides briefed each other about their respective veterinary regulation system and the capacity for building a veterinary service.
They also analysed ecological, environmental, economic and social factors in border areas, which affect transboundary animal diseases.
The two sides proposed a model for disease prevention and control cooperation based by establishing “epizones”.
Under this model, the two sides can take a series of measures including joint epidemiological survey and disease monitoring, effectiveness evaluation of immunisation programmes and information sharing to reduce risks of transboundary animal diseases such as avian influenza, foot and mouth disease and PRRS, and improve animal health and public health in border areas.
In recent years, large numbers of animals and animal products have been traded across the long border between China and Viet Nam, which not only increased the risks of transboundary animal diseases but also added to the difficulty and complexity of joint prevention and control in border areas.
Based on the Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation to Prevent and Control Transboundary Animal Diseases in the Greater Mekong Sub-region signed in 2005 and the bilateral agreement on animal health and quarantine signed in 2008, the veterinary bureaux of the two ministries signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Animal Health Cooperation in 2012, which clarified bilateral cooperation in the veterinary sector.
The veterinary authorities in Guangxi and Yunnan provinces have undertaken dozens of technical cooperation projects to Viet Nam, training technical staff for their neighbouring provinces in Vietnam and setting up test stations for prevention and control of animal diseases.
The meeting served as a comprehensive summary of China-Viet Nam veterinary cooperation in recent years and will promote practical and effective cooperation in the veterinary sector in the future.
TheCattleSite News Desk