Authority, Phama Plus evaluating impact of African Swine fever

AN African Swine Fever (ASF) assessment has commenced to evaluate the impact of emergency response work in declared diseased areas of Southern Highlands, Enga, Jiwaka and Western Highlands.
National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority’s (Naqia) chief veterinary officer Dr Ilagi Puana said about 143,000 households owned over 719,000 pigs and ASF posed a significant economic and cultural threat to these communities.
The assessment, conducted by enumerators funded by Australia and New Zealand supported Pacific horticultural and agricultural market access (Phama) Plus and Naqia field officers will see over 1,700 surveys completed.
He said the exercise would provide useful data as well as socio-economic indicators that would assist in the long-term management of ASF.
“This impact assessment assists our surveillance efforts to define the extent of the disease, detect new outbreaks, and establish disease-free zones,” Dr Puana said.
“We continue to strengthen our containment and control around the infection sites so ASF does not spread beyond the Highlands.
“This is done by installing strategic road checkpoints leading into and out of the infected areas and preventing movement of live pigs and pork out of the infected areas to potentially uninfected areas of PNG.”
Phama Plus PNG country manager Sidney Suma said the exercise had a strong gender-focus in order to capture impact of ASF response activities on women, youth and people living with disabilities.