The Netherlands – Vietnam joining hands to combat African Swine Fever
Vietnam is the third country in Asia (after China and Mongolia) to report the outbreak of African Swinne Fever (ASF), which spreads quickly in a complicated and unpredictable manner. Up to date, ASF has been reported in 62/63 provinces and cities, depopulating in total of more than 4 million pigs that are all forced to be disposed, accounting for more than 13% of the country’s total swine population with estimated damage at more than 200 million USD.
ASF’s medium and long-term economic and social impacts will depend on the severity of the epidemic, policy response and animal disease control capacity of Viet Nam and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in this context, plays a leading role in detection, prevention and control this transmissible disease. Last April, Vice Minister Marjolijn Sonnema accompanied Prime Minister Mark Rutte in his visit to Vietnam. In her bilateral meeting with Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong of Vietnam, the two sides agreed to cooperate with each other in animal diseases control in Vietnam through information exchange, experience sharing and technical assistance activities.
Following this discussion, the Chief Veterinary Officer of the Netherlands, Ms. Christianne Bruschke has visited Vietnam from 20-22 August 2019 to strengthen the bilateral cooperation of the Netherlands and Vietnam in veterinary field. The highlight of this visit were the bilateral courtesy meeting with Vice Minister Nguyen Quoc Doanh, a guest lecture at Vietnam National University of Agriculture and on top of all a Roundtable meeting ‘ Public-Private joining hands to combat African Swine Fever’ taking place on 21 August 2019. The roundtable brought along more than 70 Vietnamese and Dutch participants in public and private sectors coming from Hanoi and other cities and provinces. In his opening remarks, Vice Minister Le Quoc Doanh said: ‘I believe that the Dutch experiences and technology shared in this Roundtable meeting can help the Vietnamese experts in better understanding of the ASF, in developing efficient measures to prevent disease outbreaks and control ASF’.
In fact, the Dutch model on combatting animal diseases presented by the Netherlands Chief Veterinary Officer Christianne Bruschke attracted attention of the audience, especially ASF prevention and control. This is the first time, Vietnam is dealing with ASF outbreak. The Netherlands has no experience with ASF, however a Classicial Swine Fever (CSF) outbreak in the Netherlands lasting from February 1997 – March 1998 led to the destruction of 12 million pigs and cost around EURO 1 billion.
Based on experience with several large disease outbreaks, The Netherlands has gained sufficient knowledge to control infectious animal diseasesadequately and effective preventive measures and activities to be shared with Vietnam, from raising awareness, collaboration between the stakeholders (private sector, governments and research institutes) to practical outbreak control measurements such as contingency plan, 72 h standstill, preventive culling of farms in 1 km around outbreak, biosecurity, differentiation between commercial and hobby locations are openly shared with the Vietnamese experts and businesses. Specific attention was given to use of disease free zoning in combatting ASF on the one hand and maintaining trade on the other hand and to the importance of financing structures. On top of all, the collaboration between government and private sector is key. Presentations were also given by Dutch companies like de Heus and de GD Animal Health Service to show the importance of the private sector to take responsibility. The companies gave good examples of the Dutch companies on how to use disease free zones and to establish increased biosecurity.
The round table was attended by a large number of Vietnamese agribusiness companies, as well as research institutes and government representatives from central and regional level. The presentations and discussion gave plenty of ingredients for the further thinking process within Vietnam on how effectively combat ASF and also highlighted the quality of Dutch Agro Sector in Vietnam.
During her visit to Vietnam this time, CVO also gave a guest lecture infectious disease management and anti-biotic resistance at Vietnam National University of Agriculture and paid site visit to De Heus feedmill. The two countries have long term cooperation in many fields of sustainable agriculture development and now it comes as well to the specific topic of animal health, the field that the Netherlands has adequate experience, knowledge and technology to share and is ready to share, especially in the context of ASF outbreak in Vietnam. The visit of CVO to Vietnam is just a start and we believe in more and more fruitful cooperation between the two countries in animal disease prevention and control in coming time with the experiences and innovation of the Dutch Agro Business.