Preventing and preparing for animal health emergencies in the Far East

The advantageous geographical location of Member Countries of the Office International des Epizooties in the Far East (often islands or peninsulas) provides better isolation than that of countries with terrestrial frontiers. However, in the light of the explosive foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak which occurred in Taipei China in 1997 after nearly 70 years of freedom from FMD, countries in the Far East were alerted to the fact that while countries can be physically far or isolated from the rest of the world, they do not necessarily remain protected from epidemics and consequently need to be aware of effective methods of management of animal health emergencies. Countries in the Far East reviewed national management policies from the viewpoint of organisational structure, surveillance system, diagnostic service, vaccine stock, funding, legislation etc., and reconstructed these policies to ensure they were better organised to prevent and control malignant diseases, such as FMD, in the case of an emergency. With the accelerating and increasing movement of animals and animal products internationally, countries in the region met in Tokyo in April 1998 to discuss preparedness and management of animal health emergencies.