SAARC Presentation
SAARC, Food Security and TADs Since inception of SAARC, Agriculture and Food Security remain one of the core areas of cooperation. Notable Food Security initiatives of SAARC include inter alia Food Bank and Seed Bank Addressing TADs are extremely important for SAARC because it has direct impact on Food Security. Recognizing the linkage, SAARC Leaders in their 13 th Summit (Dhaka, 2006) adopted GF-TAD framework. SAARC Members are actively engaged in addressing TADs issues through its CVOs forum since 2008. Three meetings have taken place.
Issues being discussed in the CVOs meeting include: Periodic updating on disease prevalence Training of Veterinarians Exchanging information, education and communication materials Sharing of epidemiological information on FMD and PPR diseases Evolving a Regional Bio-Security Model Drawing up of a Regional Surveillance Plan for HPAI Road Map for Control of TADs
SAARC and FAO collaboration During 2007-08, a first ever Regional Strategy and revised Program for Food Security were formulated. It was adopted in the 15 th Summit (Colombo, 2008). SAARC-FAO HPED project launched with EU funding in 2010. As part of the SAARC-FAO initiative by 2011 seven priorityfood Security projects were developed and subsequently approved by higher SAARC bodies. One of the projects is about institutionalizing mechanism to control TADs
Progress of HPED project Coordination mechanism e.g. Regional Support Unit (RSU), Regional Epidemiology Center(REC) established in Kathmandu, Nepal at FAO. Information bulletins are regularly circulated within and beyond region. Weekly animal disease e-information news letter has been in circulation since Jan 2012. Consultative workshop on Regional Epidemiology and Lab networking was held in July 2011 to identify national epidemiological units and animal disease information systems. The workshop recorded the strength and weaknesses of national systems. The workshop served the purpose of laying down the foundation for developing Roadmaps for controlling HPEDs in SAARC members.
Subsequently, Regional Roadmaps were developed through consultative workshops on two diseases e.g. PCP for FMD (November 2011) and PCP for PPR (December 2011) Training program organized to SAARC members for using TADinfo system and GIS/Spatial epidemiology (Jan-Feb 2012) International Conference on FMD was organized in New Delhi (February 2012) Global conference on FMD was held in Bangkok June 2012 Second Regional Workshop on One Health organized in Chiang Mai, 16-18 January 2012 back-to-back with Rabies Control program Regional Field Training for Veterinarians has been initiated in collaboration with the National Institute of Epidemiology, India
Leading Regional Diagnostic Labs have been established e.g. FMD (India), HPAI (Pakistan) and PPR (Bangladesh). Assessment to strengthen the labs has been completed. Process of equipment procuring has been initiated. Senior Scientific officers have been appointed in the labs Training was organized on Lab information Management System in December 2011 First Directors Meeting and Lab networking and Proficiency testing for priority HPED in SAARC countries was held in January 2012 in Dhaka A follow up training programme was organized in May 2012 at Mukteswar, India with joint collaboration with Australian Animal Health Lab, Geelong, Australia
SAARC-FAO collaboration continues SAARC would like to acknowledge the role of RSU, in implementing the project activities. SAARC also acknowledges the role of EU in funding the project as an important observer of SAARC. SAARC endeavors to build robust SAARC-FAO collaboration in future given the necessary political will in place SAARC intends to re-emphasize on the two key aspects as enshrined in the SAARC-FAO project doc, namely, sustainability and institutionalizing SAARC would like to assure the Steering Committee and all other stakeholders that it would like to be fully involved in implementation, management, monitoring, evaluation and reporting and institutionalization of the resources and activities of the project for the purpose of Sustainability. All these are captured in the objective of the HPED project Strengthening and empowerment of SAARC in its ability to prevent, control and eradicate HPED.
SAARC has recently approached FAO to initiate the process of identifying willing partners to support the implementation of the seven regional Food Security projects. The responses received from FAO have been encouraging. SAARC firmly believes that experience in handling HPED Project would be useful in implementing such projects as well.
WHO SAARC Collaboration for implementation of HPED Project
Progress in implementation of the project The SAARC Technical Committee Meeting on Health and Population held in Thimphu in April 2010 agreed SAARC-WHO collaboration for implementation of EU funded HPED Project First SAARC Regional Workshop on strengthening surveillance and response capacity for highly pathogenic emerging and reemerging diseases in SAARC countries was held in Kathmandu SAARC Inception Workshop, Kathmandu (Nepal)
Intercountry Rabies Meeting in SAARC Region The Rabies in Asia Foundation in collaboration with WHO and the SAARC Secretariat hosted a SAARC Rabies Meeting in Mysore (India) from 25-27 February 2011 Medical and veterinary experts from SAARC countries attended Appealed for a regionally coordinated rabies elimination programme and recommended phasing out of nerve tissue vaccine and promotion of cost-effective rabies vaccination Intercountry rabies meeting, Mysore (India)
First SAARC Technical Workshop on HPED The Royal Government of Bhutan hosted the workshop in Thimphu (Bhutan) from 26-27 August 2011 Country-wise zoonoses information and control activities shared among SAARC countries The need of a regionally coordinated programme for rabies elimination was recognized SAARC countries requested WHO to develop a concept note and project proposal for funding from SAARC Dev. Fund Technical Workshop on HPED, Thimphu (Bhutan)
Regional Workshop on Epidemiological and Laboratory Networking The Sri Lankan Government hosted the workshop in Colombo (Sri Lanka) from 26-27 March 2012 The status of epid. and lab. services in SAARC countries was discussed SAARC project proposal for rabies elimination was discussed and endorsed and Sri Lanka has been identified as a lead country to take rabies elimination initiative including funding possibility from SDF Consultant report on assessment of cross-border collaboration in SAARC region was discussed in details Regional Workshop on Epid. and Lab. Networking, Colombo (Sri Lanka)
SAARC Expert Group Meeting, Colombo The SAARC Secretariat hosted expert group meeting to discuss and finalize SAARC Strategy for Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases in Colombo on 30 th March 2012 The strategy was presented in the SAARC Health Minister Meeting held in Male in April 2012 for consideration The strategy was endorsed and it has following priority areas; Surveillance and response Lab. diagnostic services and networking Information management system Cross-border collaboration
Future activities (2012-13) Formation of core expert group for cross-border collaboration among SAARC countries Study tour of experts to MBDS to understand applicability of disease surveillance modalities in cross-border areas Regional consultation for cross-border collaboration The SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu (Nepal) SAARC technical workshop on rabies elimination - Bangladesh
Opportunities Better understanding and coordination among multiple partners through collaborative activities SAARC Secretariat moves public health agenda for regional health security HPED Programme encourages animal health and human health sectors to work together through activities of common interest at the country level
Challenges Multiple partnership is a complex exercise and demands time and patience for agreement and understanding Transfer/change/retirement of contact points slow down implementation of project activities Coordinate with countries for meetings, workshops and activities Sustainability and continuation of activities in future!