Colombia and Venezuela sign an agreement to eliminate foot-and-mouth disease from Latin America

Promoted by the Pan American Health Organization through its Pan American Center for Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Veterinary Public Health (PANAFTOSA), the authorities of Colombia and Venezuela have signed an animal health plan this Friday to strengthen surveillance of foot-and-mouth disease at their borders and definitively eradicate the disease in Venezuela.

During the meeting, which took place in Rio de Janeiro, the Deputy Manager of Animal Protection of the Colombian Agricultural Institute stressed that “becoming the first continent free of foot-and-mouth disease is a commitment from all of America (…) because this benefits the entire continent from the health, commercial and social point of view”.

Edilberto Brito Sierra also explained that the ultimate goal is for Venezuela, the only nation in the region that is missing, to be recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health as a country free of the disease. The deputy manager added that the signing of the document “allows us to advance in the border area of ​​both countries and carry out joint actions.”

For his part, the director of PANAFTOSA, Ottorino Cosivi, pointed out that, after 70 years of joint efforts, the region is very close to eradicating the disease: “We have to join forces and experiences to achieve this regional public good”.

The Venezuelan authorities took the opportunity to present their national foot-and-mouth disease program and the progress made in the process of animal vaccination.

In this context, the director of Integral Animal Health of the National Institute of Integral Agricultural Health of Venezuela, Wilmer Alcázar, explained that it is essential Strengthen Border Effortssince it is “the first animal health defense barrier”.

Avoid economic losses

According to the Pan American Health Organization, the aphtose fever in animals causes a severe decrease in the production of meat and milk and, therefore, the countries in which this disease persists suffer great economic losses, not only due to the decrease in products of animal origin, but also due to the devaluation of these in the international market.

This situation explains the efforts that the affected countries are making within the framework of the Hemispheric Plan for the Eradication of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, to eradicate the disease.

Efforts in the region

The regional commission Monitoring of the National Plan for the Eradication of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Venezuela, made up of authorities and representatives of the public and private sectors of Brazil, Paraguay, Venezuela, Colombia and international institutions, also met this Friday to approve the workplan that will be carried out in Venezuela as the last action to eradicate the disease in the entire region.

“We are at a historic moment, supporting the project to eradicate foot-and-mouth disease in the Americas,” said the director of the Department of Animal Health of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply of Brazil.

Eduardo de Azevedo also referred to the plan as “a strategic step in which all countries bordering Venezuela winamong them Brazil, which is at a key moment due to the withdrawal of the vaccine in its territory and the reinforcement of surveillance actions ”.

For his part, the director of Epidemiology of the National Animal Health and Quality Service of Paraguay, Carlos Ramírez, highlighted the importance of the plan since it food is exported throughout the region to the rest of the world.

Support in Venezuela

Through PANAFTOSA, the Pan American Health Organization provides permanent technical cooperation to Venezuela with the objective of achieving the eradication of foot-and-mouth disease in the country.

Thus, in recent years, the standards of the national program in Venezuela for the elimination of the disease have been re-evaluated and established New strategies in the sector.

Other actions have consisted of strengthen the immunization program in the country to prevent viral transmission and increase surveillance to achieve free status with vaccination by 2025.