Poultry worker Nguyen Minh Duc prepares a freshly slaughtered chicken for market. Photo by Richard Nyberg, USAID

USAID sponsors avian influenza activities in Ha Nam

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

HA NAM, Vietnam, February 10, 2009 – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Animal Health (DAH) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), and local authorities today launched an integrated package of activities to prevent and control avian and human influenza in Ha Nam province.

“We welcome this project since it will increase the capacity of our local veterinary system and other local authorities to prevent avian flu and quickly respond to outbreaks as well as improve practices of poultry farmers and supply chain participants like slaughterers, transporters, breeders and market vendors who are key in preventing animal to animal and animal to human infections,” said Nguyen Van Tan, Director of Ha Ham’s Department of Animal Health.

One of five USAID-supported provinces in Vietnam along with Hung Yen, Quang Tri, Can Tho and Kien Giang, Ha Nam has experienced eight avian influenza outbreaks in poultry in the past two years.  Located near the capital, Hanoi, Ha Nam has a large poultry market with many small commercial poultry farms and a bustling poultry trade. Many commune-based animal health workers and local officials have also not been formally trained to prevent avian flu.

Ha Nam’s provincial inception workshop in Phu Ly gathered senior officials from the provincial and district People’s Committees, DAH, MARD and Department of Health, national DAH and Department of Livestock Production (DLP), USAID and its partners – Academy for Educational Development, Food and Agricultural Organization, World Health Organization and Abt Associates. 

“This groundbreaking project integrates activities to reach animal and human health workers, poultry farmers, local authorities, and also the poultry supply chain -- poultry traders, transporters, and market vendors,” said USAID Representative Francis A. Donovan.

USAID’s partners will train animal health workers, commune authorities, agricultural extension workers, traders and transporters and small commercial poultry farmers on avian and human influenza prevention and control. District authorities will gain new skills in epidemiology and active surveillance and provincial health officers will receive training in pandemic preparedness and planning.  Implementers will launch communication activities to increase public awareness of the disease.

Vietnam is one of the countries most affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza caused by the H5N1 virus. Since 2005, the country has suffered millions of dollars in economic losses due to H5N1 outbreaks in poultry.  Although government leadership has been successful in significantly reducing the number of outbreaks, the virus is endemic in the country’s poultry population.  Avian influenza can be transmitted from animals to humans.  Experts are concerned that the virus could mutate into an influenza strain that is transmissible between humans, potentially launching a global influenza pandemic.  Since 2003, Vietnam has had 107 human H5N1 cases, resulting in 52 deaths of which four were from Ha Nam province.

Since 2005, the U.S. government through USAID has provided $27.5 million for avian influenza prevention and control in Vietnam, including a new two-year provincial level operational research project to identify best practices and policy guidance on safe, effective, and sustainable poultry vaccination to limit AI transmission.

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