HPAI Early Detection and preparedness

Geographic Coverage: Southern Africa Development Community member states (Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe)

Duration: April 2008 – September 2010

Funding: $US1 099 175 $US 500 000(Extension)

Donor: USAID

Partners: FAO ECTAD, SADC Secretariat, Departments of Veterinary Services

Beneficiaries: Poultry producers in SADC, national governments, policy and decision makers, planners, national AI task forces, private sector and consumers.

Goal: The main objective is to safe guard human and animal health through prevention of introduction of HPAI into Southern Africa.

Specific Objective: To address the current lack of capacity of some SADC countries for early response to a possible outbreak of HPAI and sustained field surveillance and laboratory diagnosis of HPAI in order to maintain the HPAI disease free status in the SADC region.

Expected Results: Improved HPAI surveillance and diagnosis capacity, harmonized preparedness guidelines and effective response to an outbreak of HPAI in the Southern Africa region.

Main activities:

The project addresses issues that are common to all countries,namely:
 Assessment of the diagnostic capacity for HPAI in SADC laboratories
 Training in laboratory diagnosis of HPAI at different levels, corresponding to the diagnostic tests carried out by the laboratories, with backstopping to national laboratories
 Development of epidemio-surveillance guidelines adapted to the SADC countries and harmonization of data collection forms for HPAI surveillance
 Strengthening of surveillance capacity
 Supply of laboratory reagents to SADC through the establishment of a demand-supply hub at OVI
 Supply of surveillance material and PPEs

The project gives specific support to 4 selected countries, namely: Malawi,Mozambique,Zambia and Zimbabwe
 A national compensation framework study in Malawi
 A field outbreak simulation exercise in Zambia with participation of neighboring countries
 A multi-sectoral table-top simulation exercise in Zambia
 Training in poultry disease recognition and HPAI surveillance of field personnel and poultry farmers in view of operationalising surveillance in sector 3 and 4
 Surveillance combined with Newcastle Disease vaccination campaigns in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe, carried out by the trained staff