(KPL) The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations handed over communication and awareness materials on the occasion of the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2022 and the guidelines for African Swine Fever (ASF) prevention and control in smallholder pig farming to the Department of Livestock and Fisheries (DLF) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

The generous support was made possible with the contribution from the United Kingdom Agency for International Development (UK Aid) and the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is limited and, in some cases, ignored, especially among farmers as the antimicrobials are misused in the livestock production sector.

This can lead to antimicrobial resistance - the antimicrobials will no longer work to treat infections or diseases in animals and humans.

As a result, this leads to treatment failure, higher costs, longer recovery times for patients, and in severe cases people may die.The Antimicrobial Awareness Materials will help farmers to use antimicrobials wisely.

African Swine Fever (ASF) is causing considerable losses in the pig production sector. To assist the DLF to combat this deadly disease, FAO is conducting training programmes for livestock officers to detect, prevent and control ASF. The ASF guidelines will be distributed to all district livestock officers to further strengthen their knowledge on how to prevent this disease.

At the handover ceremony, Mrs. Vilayphone Vorraphim, Director General of the Department of Livestock and Fisheries, raised this concern on the limited public awareness of AMR and on transboundary animal diseases, especially ASF.

She also acknowledged the contribution from FAO, UK Aid and the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) saying: “these public awareness materials on AMR and the ASF guidelines will surely ease the work of DLF at the ground level to help prevent the misuse of the antimicrobials and control the outbreak of the ASF”. “With better awareness on the substances, the reduction in the use of the antimicrobials will contribute to the overall goals specified in the National Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2019-2023, while increased knowledge of ASF could help prevent and control its outbreak,” she said.

The supplies consist of polo shirts, caps, tote bags, tumblers, desk calendars, notebooks on AMR and ASF guidelines, namely monitoring and surveillance of African Swine Fever; Farm biosecurity, slaughtering, and restocking; Culling and disposal of pigs in an African Swine Fever outbreak and Clean chain approach for African Swine Fever in smallholder settings, that have a total combined value of over USD 25,000. The supplies will be delivered to all 18 provinces in the Lao PDR to ensure each province is equipped with sufficient awareness materials to conduct relevant awareness campaigns and activities.

At the ceremony, Mr. Chanthalath Pongmala, Assistant (Programme) to the FAO Representative to the Lao PDR, stressed that “FAO is committed to supporting the Government of the Lao PDR through the Department of Livestock and Fisheries in the fight against zoonotic diseases and other health threats such as AMR.” “Livestock diseases have severely adverse impact not only for farmers but also on the food system, food security and nutrition, and income security, for the rural population, especially for the poor and the most vulnerable. Many people, especially in the rural population have been pushed back to hunger and poverty due to the loss of livestock caused by diseases such as African Swine Fever. With these AMR awareness materials and ASF guidelines, we could fight AMR and transboundary diseases more effectively, save livestock and human lives and gradually build back better, as one of the best preventive approach,” he continued.

KPL