Strengthening Bhutan’s capacity to combat African Swine Fever (ASF)
Gelephu, Bhutan – December 18, 2024
A three-day training program aimed at strengthening Bhutan’s capacity to combat African Swine Fever (ASF) and enhance farm biosecurity practices is currently underway in Gelephu. The program brings together 42 officials from the Department of Livestock (DoL) and the Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA), comprising 19 participants from BFDA and 23 from DoL.
The training seeks to equip participants with critical knowledge and skills to prevent, detect, and respond to ASF, a highly contagious and fatal viral disease affecting pigs, which has resulted in substantial economic losses globally, including in Bhutan. With the region facing ongoing ASF outbreaks, the program is designed to enable efficient responses to potential incursions and ensure effective coordination of outbreak management measures.
Facilitated by experts from the National Centre for Animal Health (NCAH), BFDA, National Piggery Development Centre (NPiDC), the Regional Livestock Development Centre (Kanglung), and Regional Veterinary Hospital and Epidemiology Centres (Dewathang and Gelephu), the training spans three days and addresses key areas such as ASF epidemiology, clinical signs, transmission pathways, diagnostic techniques, and biosecurity measures. Participants are also engaging in stakeholder mapping, outbreak investigation simulations, and innovative data collection and analysis exercises.
This training initiative, organized by the NCAH under the Department of Livestock and funded by the FAO Emergency Technical Cooperation Program (eTCP) for ASF, emphasizes cross-agency collaboration and practical, hands-on learning. It aims to ensure a coordinated and effective national response to potential ASF threats while strengthening Bhutan’s overall preparedness and resilience in managing livestock health emergencies.
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