SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA 2018: Cambodia reported an increased number of avian influenza outbreaks in poultry in late 2017 and early 2018. This increase can be explained by improvements in the reporting system and closer collaboration between the animal health professionals at central, provincial, district and field levels.

However, several outbreak challenges remain, especially related to investigation, reporting, containment, public awareness and the collaboration across sectors. These aspects in addition to unclear roles and responsibilities of animal and human health officers at all levels pose a threat to rapid response. Notably, the Joint External Evaluation in 2016 found that even though Cambodia’s capacity to detect and respond at provincial and central level has improved in recent years, there is an urgent need to focus on harmonization and sharing of information between ministries involved in the response.

To address this, a total of 43 participants from public health, wildlife and animal health sectors at central and field level involved in avian influenza response gathered at a workshop from 9 to 11 May 2018 in Siem Reap province, which was co-organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Ministry of Health (MOH).

The workshop scrutinized the AI outbreak response by using the One Health System Mapping and Analysis Resources Toolkit (OH-SMART™), a tool used to strengthen and improve processes around avian influenza detection and response. The toolkit served as a standardized method to analyse gaps and discrepancies in communication and coordination between the different sectors and helped to address One Health issues. Besides, the assemble of health professionals from various institutions worked together in revising the Joint Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Human-Animal AI Outbreak Investigation documented from 2014, to generate a practical and easy-to-understand document, applicable to use at all levels across Cambodia.

"Cambodia needs a multi-level response capacity to combat transboundary and endemic circulation of avian influenza, maintained by the extensive in-country and cross-border movements of people, poultry and poultry products," said Mr. Alexandre Huynh, FAO Representative in Cambodia.