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The Department of Livestock and Fisheries and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Lao PDR have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen wildlife disease surveillance and reduce the risk of zoonotic disease transmission in the Lao PDR.
(KPL) The Department of Livestock and Fisheries and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Lao PDR have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen wildlife disease surveillance and reduce the risk of zoonotic disease transmission in the Lao PDR.
The signing ceremony took place in Vientiane on September 15, 2026, with Mr. Bouahong Khamha, Head of the Department of Livestock and Fisheries, and Ms. Manoly Sisavanh, Deputy Country Director of WCS Lao PDR, signing the agreement in the presence of representatives from relevant agencies.
The project, titled “Strengthening the Implementation of Wildlife Disease Surveillance in the Lao PDR,” has received grant funding of US$526,188 from the Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) through the Prevention Zoonotic Disease Emergence (PREZODE)/Asia America Congo (ASAMCO) project and the Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit (LOMWRU), channelled through WCS Lao PDR.
The project will be implemented in Savannakhet Province from the date of approval through December 31, 2028. It aims to reduce the risk of zoonotic diseases that could affect human and animal health, the environment and the economy by strengthening cross-sectoral coordination, disease surveillance and law enforcement.
Key activities will include training on standard operating procedures for wildlife disease surveillance, identifying gaps in disease-risk data associated with the wildlife trade supply chain, and conducting field surveys to assess zoonotic disease risks.
The project will also assess socio-ecological factors linked to the emergence of zoonotic diseases and develop preventive measures, while raising public awareness through behaviour-change communication campaigns and supporting stronger enforcement against illegal wildlife trade.
The initiative is expected to strengthen national capacity to detect and respond to wildlife-related disease risks and contribute to protecting public health, animal health and ecosystem integrity in the Lao PDR.
KPL
