Forum spotlights national anti-zoonosis One Health strategy

A forum took place in Hanoi on May 30^th to review implementation progress of the national One Health strategy on zoonotic diseases prevention.

Illustrative image. (Source: VNA)

Speaking at the forum, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam said Vietnam is sustaining its leading position in the region by stepping up efforts in response to the ASEAN Rabies Elimination Strategy (ARES).

Vietnam will host a regional conference on ARES in late 2018, he added.

The implementation of the One Health strategy regarding antimicrobial resistance, influenza, and other infectious diseases has been stepped up and recorded upbeat international cooperation outcomes, Tam said.

The official noted Vietnam is also continuing its involvement in the World Health Organisation’s tool for performance evaluation of veterinary services and the World Bank’s health security financing assessment tool.

He highlighted the country’s ratification of an agreement on the establishment of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Animal Health and Zoonoses (ACCAHZ) in April this year and its successful hosting of the 3^rd International Conference on the zoonotic diseases prevention and control last year.

Dang Anh Tuan, Deputy Director General of the General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Health Ministry, said in line with the One Health strategy, the Government has issued a number of legal documents, including the laws on infectious diseases prevention and on animal health.

Nguyen Thu Thuy, deputy head of the Department of Animal Health, informed the forum on One Health work to tackle bird flu, rabies, and antimicrobial resistance in animal husbandry and aquatic farming.

According to the official, her department has submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for approving a budget of VND 2.5 billion (USD 110,000) for rabies prevention and control in 2018.

The department continues guiding localities in the management of dogs and organisation of rabies vaccinations, she said.

Thuy pointed to the fact that the country has banned the use of antibiotics as growth stimulators in livestock farming since January 2018.

By 2020, the use of antibiotics for the prevention of animal diseases will also be banned, she added./.

VNF/VNA