Conference paper
Making sense of local knowledge and indigenous practices on health and biosecurity risk management
Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research
Animal biosecurity in the Mekong: future directions for research and development. Proceedings of a workshop held (Siem Reap, Cambodia, 10/08/2010–13/08/2010)
2012
Abstract
The potential for zoonotic emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) to spread worldwide is immense. Geographical boundaries can be uncertain and management of disease crises, biosecurity and health risks is a huge task that requires cooperation and understanding from many parts of the public and private sectors. A glimpse of this has been seen over the years during epidemics, including the bovine spongiform encephalopathy or mad cow disease outbreak in the United Kingdom, Hendra virus outbreaks among horses in Australia, Nipah virus spread in Malaysia and Singapore, and the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreaks in Asia. In the last decade, highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 (HPAI H5N1), or ‘bird flu’, outbreaks have also been a focus of global attention.
These zoonotic EIDs have predominantly affected countries in South-East Asia. Why is this so? One obvious factor is the way animals are raised, slaugh¬tered and prepared for food consumption. There are certain animal-rearing practices and human health beliefs in countries in the region that need to be recognised before control programs can be designed. Governance and institutional systems also function differently in countries in the region, affecting the enactment of policies to support biosecurity risk management and preparedness.
International non-government organisations, donor agencies and other humanitarian organisations have supported countries in the region to help eradicate HPAI H5N1. Assistance is given through technical and funding support necessary to build local capacity for disease control, as well as to institute prepared¬ness plans and manage health and biosecurity risks. Resources are poured into the establishment of emergency plans and protocols to prepare for a possible influenza pandemic to minimise global catastrophe.
Details
- Title
- Making sense of local knowledge and indigenous practices on health and biosecurity risk management
- Authors/Creators
- E. Llarena (Author/Creator)J. Edwards (Author/Creator)A. Surma (Author/Creator)K. Fitch (Author/Creator)C. Benigno (Author/Creator)
- Conference
- Animal biosecurity in the Mekong: future directions for research and development. Proceedings of a workshop held (Siem Reap, Cambodia, 10/08/2010–13/08/2010)
- Publisher
- Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research
- Identifiers
- 991005544843507891
- Copyright
- © Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) 2012
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Media, Communication and Culture; School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Conference paper
- Note
- In Adams L.B., Gray G.D and Murray G. (eds) 2012. Animal biosecurity in the Mekong: future directions for research and development. Proceedings of a workshop held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, 10–13 August 2010. ACIAR Proceedings No. 137. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research: Canberra. pp 90-92
Metrics
373 File views/ downloads
151 Record Views