15th update on African swine fever activities at FAO

GLOBAL

From now on, these updates will be posted online in the news section of the Global ASF Research Alliance (GARA) as they become available so that they become accessible to everyone, not just those in this distribution list.
The GF-TADs global initiative to control ASF has been published online. To mark the occasion, FAO and OIE have issued a joint press release (in all six UN languages).
The GARA 2020 Scientific Meeting in Kampala, Uganda has been postponed from August 25-27, 2020 to August 24-26th, 2021. The call for abstracts for will re-open on 15 January 2021. In the meantime, keynote speakers from the postponed 2020 meeting will give their addresses via Zoom on 24-25 August this year.
The newly released FAO Food Chain Crisis Early Warning Bulletin No. 36 covers the threats expected to occur in the world in July-September 2020, including ASF.

FAO is running a 4-week online course on ASF preparedness in Serbian in the Balkans. The course started on 20 July with the participation of 350 veterinarians from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.
A Regional Meeting on ASF for the Balkans took place via Zoom on 30 June with the participation of neighbouring affected countries as well. It was an opportunity for countries to share the disease situation, for FAO to update on past and upcoming project activities, and for the EU to present on a new project on “Action on Animal Disease Eradication in the Western Balkans”. It is expected to be repeated it again after the Summer.
The 15th meeting of the Standing Groups of Experts on ASF in Europe took place with the participation of 31 countries of Europe on 6 May 2020 via zoom instead of face-to-face due to the COVID-19 situation.
An update on the FAO activities on ASF in the Balkans, including past and upcoming assessment missions, simulation exercises, trainings and more.

Virtual regional Training of Trainers on ASF detection organized by FAO RAP by engaging animal health officials from Cambodia, Myanmar, Viet Nam and Regional FETPV (22 June – 2 July 2020).
Online course on ASF preparedness for Asia was successfully finished with 490 participants from 27 countries in Asia and Pacific Region with a dozen tutors (May-June 2020).
Online meeting with CVO Papua New Guinea, NAQIA, FAO HQs, FAO Regional Office for Asia and Pacific (RAP) and FAO Papua New Guinea and Development Partners was held on 16 June to update on epidemiological situation and control measures, as well as to discuss support to ASF response.

On June 2020, FAO applied a diagnostic survey to compile background information about preparedness and risk management for ASF as part of the implementation of an emergency project on ASF preparedness in Latin America and the Caribbean. Meetings are being held individually with countries to identify gaps and organize future actions.
FAO is preparing an online course on good practices for emergency management (GEMP) to be launched for the countries of Central America in September 2020.