US Senate Representative visits collaborative efforts against avian influenza at O Russey live bird market
On 2 April 2024, Mr Paul Grove, Clerk for the US Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, visited the O Russey live bird market in Phnom Penh. He visited the poultry slaughter point, where he gained a better understanding of the strong collaboration between the General Directorate of Animal Health and Production (GDAHP), FAO, the Institute Pasteur du Cambodge (IPC), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in the preparedness and control of avian influenza (AI) in high-risk areas. This visit was an opportunity to understand how the United States of America-Cambodia cooperation in advancing global health security by helping Cambodia to better prevent, monitor and respond to emerging infectious disease threats, including AI.

FAO ECTAD’s seventeenth annual regional meeting strengthens coordination and strategy
FAO ECTAD recently concluded its seventeenth annual regional meeting (AREM) in Bali, Indonesia, held from 26 to 29 March 2024. This year’s event focused on strengthening coordination, coherence and alignment across 13 Member Nations, facilitating insightful discussions, sharing of success stories and evaluating strategies for output delivery. Amidst evolving landscapes in financial resources, geographical expansion and global priorities, the seventeenth AREM prioritized on maintaining core strengths in program coordination. It provided a crucial platform for FAO ECTAD to review ongoing initiatives, re-evaluate future directions and ensure effective program delivery in dynamic environments. Additionally, the meeting introduced the 2024-2028 Regional Strategic Guidance of ECTAD, a framework designed through a consultative approach. This guidance serves as an overarching framework for ECTAD teams to tailor projects and programmes to local contexts, ensuring alignment with relevant global initiatives such as Sustainable Development Goals, FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022-2031 and the Global Health Security Agenda. With an emphasis on a programmatic approach, the guidance aims to address emerging challenges and foster resilience in the region's animal health and agricultural sector over the next five years.

Raising awareness on antimicrobial resistance and usage 
FAO and Bangladesh AMR Response Alliance (BARA) organized a sensitization workshop aimed at raising awareness about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial usage (AMU) on 24 March 2024. The event, attended by 250 veterinary and medical interns and students from Haji Danesh University of Science and Technology and M. Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital, was supported by USAID and the Fleming Fund. The Director of M Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital Dr ATM Nuruzzaman and the Dean Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Haji Danesh University of Science and Technology Dr Umm Salma inaugurated the workshop, expressing optimism to tackle AMR together. The workshop featured engaging activities, including AMR quiz competition, as well as an awareness campaign conducted by distributing AWaRe (Access, Watch, Reserve) classification posters and banners across both campuses.

Performance of veterinary services preliminary result meeting
In collaboration with the Ministry of Indonesia, and with support from the Australian Government, FAO facilitated a technical meeting on the Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) preliminary result in Jakarta from 25 to 26 March 2024. The meeting discussed the preliminary report of the PVS conducted in October 2023 by the WOAH PVS Pathway experts that had been shared with Indonesia. The meeting examined the findings and recommendations outlined in the report and assessed their relevance and applicability within the Indonesian context. In addition, the report included a specific section on rabies surveillance, prevention and control evaluation, as requested by the Indonesian government.

Simulation training of biosecurity modules for veterinary officers
From 27 to 28 March 2024, FAO, together with the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) held a meeting in Bandung to finalize the development of four biosecurity training modules in ruminant farms for veterinary officers and conduct training simulation. The biosecurity training modules in ruminant farming are designed to facilitate, expedite and improve the quality of learning and to serve as a reference for facilitators in carrying out biosecurity learning activities. These four modules cover the topic of introduction to biosecurity, isolation procedures, disinfection and decontamination, and movement control. Moreover, 26 trained veterinary officers carried out training simulation for dairy cattle farmer groups in the West Bandung district, with central government officers observing.

African swine fever team supports multiple activities and events
The FAO’s regional African swine fever (ASF) team is making stride in their efforts to implement several ASF projects. The team is currently organizing three regional events and country-level workshops for second quarter of 2024 alone. These events are foreseen to provide valuable information and support Member Nations affected by ASF. In addition to the meetings and workshops, the four-person team are providing backstopping technical support to countries in the region in relation to surveillance and control measures including communication and advocacy on ASF.