Cambodian and Vietnamese delegations met in Phnom Penh on 7-8 November 2019 to discuss further cooperation on animal health, and to establish a 2020 cooperation road map on surveillance, animal diseases outbreak response, and communication.

The meeting, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), was designed to discuss animal health matters, including animal movement and surveillance of Avian Influenza (AI) and other transboundary animal diseases (TADs), particularly the African Swine Fever (ASF) and the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).

Considering the extensive trade between Cambodia and Vietnam, concrete efforts for TADs control are a necessity. Regular meetings that offer chances to review progress made and share updates on TADs investigations conducted in either countries, like this one, will inform concerted actions.   

The two countries conducted the first cross-border meeting on H5N1 surveillance in the Lower Mekong in Siem Reap province in 2012. Several areas of collaboration were discussed during the meeting and subsequently, both countries agreed to organize annual meetings. Besides cross-border meetings and with support from FAO, the two countries have also organized annual bilateral meetings on animal health development cooperation.

Such meetings allow for efficient cooperation and improved control and prevention of TADs, as well as safer trade of live animals and animal products, to the benefit of the consumers and of the concerned value chains. Furthermore, there is a need for both countries to follow up on the recent outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Vietnam and Cambodia, to explore joint solutions to control this disease and avoid further spread.

In Cambodia, AI viruses A(H7Nx) were still being detected in early 2019, and highly pathogenic AI virus A(H5N6) was detected for the first time through live bird market active surveillance. Other animal diseases occurred in 2019, including FMD, Hemorrhagic Septicemia (HS), Classical Swine Fever (CSF), ASF, Newcastle Disease (ND), and rabies. Outbreaks of FMD still occur and remain the problems for cattle production in the country. In 2019, ASF outbreaks were detected in five provinces including Kandal, Ratanakiri, Svay Rieng, Tbong Khmum and Takeo.

In Vietnam, on the other hand, AI outbreaks have continued to be reported in 2018-2019, with subtype H5N6 detected across the country and H5N1 detected mostly in the South. Major animal diseases detected in Vietnam in 2018 and 2019 included HPAI, FMD, and rabies. More than 70 human rabies cases were reported in 2019, with high number of cases in highland areas. Since Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) confirmed the first ASF outbreak in February 2019, all 63 provinces/cities reported outbreaks, and more than 5 800 000 pigs have been culled. 

Animal health is a critical factor for improving and increasing sustainable livestock production and food security. Animal products do not only represent a source of high-quality food, but are also an important source of income for many small-scale farmers in both countries. Such outbreaks and related emerging animal diseases put lives of many famers at risk.

In the conclusion of this two-day meeting, both sides agreed to collaborate on ASF outbreak response. The detailed plan of collaborative activities for 2020 was also established. Currently, Cambodia’s laboratory can only detect ASF. The Vietnamese side offered assistance on laboratory diagnosis and sequencing of ASF samples).  The two countries also agreed to organize laboratory annual exchange visits targeting ASF diagnosis.

The next bilateral meeting on animal health cooperation between the two countries and the cross-border meeting on surveillance and prevention of HPAI and other TADs will be held in Vietnam in 2020.