The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) developed a Global Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) Control Strategy intending to reduce the global burden of FMD and risk of reintroduction of the disease into free areas. The strategy encourages endemic countries to progressively control FMD using the progressive control pathway for FMD (PCP-FMD) approach at the country level, with aligned coordination at the regional level.
The 1st Middle East FMD Epidemiology and Laboratory Networks meeting was organized to cohesively implement the regional efforts, share information, exchange expertise, and build the regional and national capacity for the control of FMD and other important transboundary animal diseases.
At the opening of the meeting, Dr. Samia Metwally, Senior Animal Health Officer, FAO said ‘FMD can be considered as a model for other diseases in establishing reliable surveillance and control program in the entire region.’ She stressed the importance of establishing dynamic epidemiology and laboratory networks to build the regional and national capacity for the control of FMD and other important transboundary animal diseases.
Considering the region’s geographical position about Europe, Africa, and Asia, also trading patterns for FMD susceptible animals and their products, the participants agreed to develop a Regional FMD control strategy for the Middle East using the PCP-FMD as the preferred tool to progressively reduce FMD virus circulation and the incidence of the disease.
The participants also agreed to share information on FMD incidents in real-time for better preparation and response.
The participants agreed to the nomination from Egypt and Saudi Arabia for leading the epidemiology networks, and for laboratory network representatives from Jordan and Egypt. The epidemiology and laboratory networks together agreed to identify training needs and prepare training plans; share experience/consultation through Whatsapp messenger group, email, online discussions, and in-country visits; and prepare an annual report on network activities and share across the networks.
The meeting was attended by the Representatives of Arab Organization for Agriculture Development, Gulf Cooperation Council Secretariat, FAO, OIE, EuFMD, World Reference Laboratory, ANSES, and epidemiology experts. Along with laboratory and epidemiology focal points from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Libya, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Oman.
The meeting was organized under the umbrella of the FAO/OIE Global Framework for the Progressive Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases (GF-TADs), in collaboration with the European Commission for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD) and co-funded by the European Union and the Republic of Italy.