The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has issued a strong message to its member countries about the need to intensify efforts to combat highly contagious avian influenza.
The H5N1 virus has caused the loss of hundreds of millions of poultry worldwide. This has significant implications for food security, biodiversity, and local economies.
Economic and Food Impact
Godfrey Magwenzi, FAO’s Deputy Director-General, described the spread of the virus as an unprecedented phenomenon. He has highlighted its serious effects on nutrition, rural employment, and income. This virus affects both the availability and prices of poultry products, essential for millions of people who rely on meat and eggs as a staple of their diet.
In addition to losses in domestic birds, a significant impact on wild birds has been recorded, with more than 300 species affected since 2021, exacerbating damage to biodiversity.
Global Strategy and International Collaboration
In response, FAO, in collaboration with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), has launched a Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (2024-2033). Beth Bechdol, FAO’s Deputy Director-General, emphasized that this is a cross-border issue that demands coordinated action globally.
The organization urged countries to strengthen surveillance, improve early warning systems, and develop outbreak preparedness plans. It also stressed the importance of strengthening veterinary and health systems and highlighted the crucial role of the private sector in developing technologies for vaccines and diagnostics.
Key Measures to Mitigate the Impact of Avian Influenza
Among the measures proposed by FAO to address this global challenge are:
- Enhancing laboratory capacity and promoting detailed reporting.
- Promoting risk management through biosecurity.
- Exploring the use of vaccination as a key tool for risk mitigation.
- Strengthening rapid response to outbreaks and promoting regional and international cooperation.
- Increasing public awareness of the disease and its effects.
Financing and Strategic Support
FAO also presented new funding opportunities through the Pandemic Fund, sponsored by the World Bank. This fund is allocated to initiatives that improve disease surveillance, develop early warning systems, and strengthen cooperation among sectors of human, animal, plant, and environmental health.
Bechdol reiterated FAO’s commitment to global surveillance and providing tools that enable countries to face this serious threat: “Working together, we can reduce the impact of avian influenza and protect animal and human health at the local and global levels.”
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