East Asia continues to suffer from pandemics and outbreaks of infectious diseases that threaten human health and deepen poverty.
In the past decade, diseases from animals have caused global public health threats including the H1N1 Influenza Pandemic (2009), Avian Influenza outbreaks (2005) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (2003). Emerging infectious diseases from animals will be the likely source of a future human pandemic.
Diseases such as H5N1 - also known as bird flu - have led to estimated economic losses of $8 billion in East Asia alone, including the loss of income by small farmers and producers from decreasing production levels and more restricted access to markets.
Australia supports our neighbours in the region to prevent, detect and control pandemics and emerging infectious diseases. Since 2003, Australia has provided almost $160 million to address pandemics and emerging infectious diseases, both in the Asia Pacific region and globally. Our Pandemics and Emerging Infectious Diseases Framework 2010–2015 guides our current assistance.
Australia's aid aims to reduce the spread and impacts of diseases on human health and the livelihoods and food security of rural communities–saving lives, reducing poverty and contributing to Australia's bio-security.
PREVENTing the spread of diseases in the Mekong
Australia is pro-actively preventing a future human pandemic that may arise from communities in the Mekong region. The PREVENT community-based project in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam is identifying practices of farmers, traders and rural households that make these groups vulnerable to contracting new viruses from animals. PREVENT works with communities in highlighting the public health risks of unregulated trade of wildlife and in promoting hygienic practices in the handling, consumption, rearing, and trade of animals. Australia is providing $6 million over the three years to the program, which is being delivered in cooperation with the United States.
Containing diseases
Contacts among people, wildlife, and domestic livestock will increase with economic development especially in rural areas. This will increase the potential spread of livestock diseases and also of deadly viruses being transmitted from animals to humans.
Australia is working with countries in laying down strong foundations to prevent, prepare for, and contain any emerging infectious disease outbreak.
The spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD) is often fuelled by unregulated cross-border trade. While it affects livestock only, FMD also pushes rural farmers into poverty. Farmers lose income as they cannot sell or trade sick animals nor can they use sick livestock to plough the field.
Australia is the biggest donor supporting FMD eradication in South East Asia since 1997. Our efforts contributed to eradicating the disease in the Philippines in conjunction with AusAID bilateral support. The Philippines lost about $95 million during the peak of the FMD outbreaks in 1995, with most losses among rural smallholder farmers.
At the regional level, Australia provides $12.7 million to the World Organisation for Animal Health to implement the Stop Transboundary Animal Diseases and Zoonoses (STANDZ) Initiative from 2011 to 2016.
STANDZ will prevent poor farmers from suffering the loss of income and trade opportunities brought about by FMD-infected livestock. Stamping out FMD in the Mekong region, where the disease is still endemic, protects rural farmers and helps them withstand food insecurity.
In 2012-13, the STANDZ Initiative will train at least 300 community animal health workers across the Mekong countries. STANDZ will also improve community emergency response plans to outbreaks, including providing vaccines to contain the further spread of FMD in livestock.
At the national level, STANDZ facilitates evaluations of national veterinary services of six developing countries in South East Asia. The process will help countries in developing their own national plans to improve their veterinary services that are consistent with global standards.
A strong national veterinary service is able to control the spread of any livestock disease and mitigate its significant livelihood impacts on rural communities. A well-established animal health system is more capable of containing emerging diseases in animals before they infect people and turn into a global pandemic.