FAO ECTAD

Creation:
Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) was established in December 2004 by the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the context of FAO’s commitments in the fight against HPAI H5N1 to enable an enhanced response by associating the Animal Production and Health Division (AGA) and the Emergency Operations and Rehabilitation Division (TCE) in this operation. The leadership responsibility for ECTAD was conferred to the head of the Animal Health Service, appointing him at the same time as FAO’s Chief Veterinary Officer. This appointment was done in order to mirror, within FAO, countries’ national set-up with respect to infectious disease control. Conscious of the fact that HPAI H5N1 and its control need to be addressed in a comprehensive, systems-oriented approach, ECTAD operates professional working groups which encompass socio-economics/farming systems dimensions of the programme in addition to animal health and social communication.

Crisis Management Centre - animal health (CMC-Animal Health). CMC-Animal Health was launched on 12 October 2006 in response to the perceived need of adding to the ECTAD set-up a facility for immediate intervention (as fast as 72 hours after official request) in case of disease outbreaks where FAO intervention was deemed necessary and for rapid assessment missions.

Organisation :
The ECTAD structure is headed by the CVO as ECTAD manager and composed of four groups:

 Group 1: Early warning, situation monitoring and information dissemination coordination;
 Group 2: Emergency response, operational monitoring through field projects coordination;
 Group 3: Socio/economic; rehabilitation, institutions and policy;
 Group 4: Elaboration and harmonization of strategies and guidelines, regional and international events.

Functions
The functions of ECTAD are to:

• Provide support to member countries to prevent and control Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs) during periods of crises through strengthening of surveillance, preparedness and early warning and response activities in affected countries, countries at risk and newly infected countries.
• Contribute to policy development and knowledge sharing through regional networks in the context of GF-TADs.
• Enhance capacity building and programme support in member countries and regional institutions
• Coordinate and manage emergency response and emergency funds
• Build strong relations with development partners and encourage fundraising

ECTAD Regional units
In December 2005, the ECTAD Regional Unit in the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) was established with ToRs matching those of ECTAD at FAO headquarters.

When highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) spread to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe early in 2006, it was decided to establish regional ECTAD units in those regions as well within available resources. In Africa and in the Near East, FAO and OIE therefore jointly establish Regional Animal Health Centres (RAHC).

The establishment of theses centres started at the end of 2006 in Bamako, Mali, with the FAO Director-General’s support on a project approach basis using extrabudgetary funds. ECTAD Regional Units are now in place and operational in Beirut, Tunis, Bamako, Gaborone and Nairobi while they are under establishment in Kathmandu and Ankara.

ECTAD regional managers are responsible for regional programmes and backstopping to country units is a main responsibility of, to allow for increased local management of the resources.