National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority (NAQIA) in partnership with Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nation (FAO) are currently running a three (3) days practical training for African swine fever (ASF) Stock Inspectors here in Port Moresby which started on Monday 22nd of August and will finish on the 24th August 2022. These trainings here in Port Moresby and other previous trainings outside of Port Moresby were made possible through funding from the United States Aid.
The purpose of the trainings is to strengthen the field capacities for African swine fever detection and animal emergency responses in Papua New Guinea. NAQIA Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Ilagi Puana stated that NAQIA as the animal biosecurity agency is also a veterinary authority and the animal health component is a very important part of NAQIA. He also mentioned that the trainings that they are running now is more on the practical side of handling animal health and all Stock Inspectors from all the provinces have flown in to attend this important training.
“By Law, through the Animal Disease Control Act, we have the Stock Inspectors who are the Provincial Livestock Officers who provide veterinary network of animal or NAQIA network in individual provinces through the Animal Disease Strategy,” said Dr Puana.
These trainings will equip and educate these stock officers to assist NAQIA with response on the ground in containment exercise like setting up road check points, responding to ASF cases and also to provide assistance to NAQIA to investigate an outbreak of any animal disease.
“These trainings will guide the stock officers to know the kind of Biosecurity Protocols to use when visiting properties that have suspected or confirmed transmittable animal disease and also how to control the disease and contain it,” he stated.
Dr Puana explained that the African swine fever which started off in the upper highlands is slowly making its way down to the lower highlands provinces, Eastern Highlands and Simbu the latest; however this African swine fever is contained and has not spread to other regions in the country. He said despite no vaccination for curing of the ASF disease, strict biosecurity protocols and response by the stock inspectors in the various highlands provinces has helped so much in containing the ASF.
“Sadly animal disease are not far from over, there are other diseases merging, the Foot and Mouth Disease which will affect all livestock including chicken and this disease is now in Indonesia and we are worried it might cross over to our shores,” said Dr Puana.
He further stressed that the 2nd disease is called the Lumpy Skin, is like skin pox and it will affect cattle only and it is transmitted by blood feeding insects like flies, mosquitoes or ticks.
“Preparedness is important and we are not too sure when these new diseases will arrive on our shores so these trainings too are part of our preparedness strategy so we know how to handle these diseases.”
“The stock inspectors need to be aware of these diseases and how they can respond and contain these new diseases too, therefore these trainings are not only on ASF but also on Foot and Mouth Disease and the Lumpy Skin Disease,” said Dr Puana.
The first day of training was the theory part of it but the other two days would be the practical component at the NAQIA Kila Kila Facility where by the Stock inspectors will receive trainings on safe handling of animals, sample collection from pigs for diagnostic testings, blood sampling, how to treat sick animals and more.