Simulation exercise: High pathogenicity avian influenza in Argentina

29 August to 2 September 2022

Dr Ximena Melón, Delegate to WOAH and National Animal Health Director of SENASA, informed WOAH that the National Health and Food Quality Service (SENASA) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, will organise a full-scale simulation exercise on high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) for the Veterinary Service. The exercise will be of national scope, include regional participants, and take place from 29 August to 2 September 2022 in face-to-face format in the city of Esperanza, Santa Fe province, Argentina.

The activity serves as an instrument to respond to current training needs for officials and other actors within the poultry value chain, with the purpose of strengthening preparedness in the light of events negatively impacting the health and well-being of poultry, as well as veterinary public health.

The main objective of the exercise is to test the capacity of the Veterinary Service to respond to a simulation of an avian influenza outbreak, allowing for relevant tasks and procedures to be practised.

The specific objectives of the exercise are:

  • Evaluate and improve the response capacity of the Veterinary Service, putting into practice the functions and procedures preestablished by current norms.
  • Review and consolidate the actions to be implemented when a notifiable disease is reported in Argentina and evaluate the emergency notification process to WOAH following the confirmation of the outbreak.
  • Test and evaluate risk assessment in the light of emergency situations, by providing specific guidance and information on health-related topics linked to avian influenza.
  • Contribute to the improvement and maintaining of a strong group performance and a good level of professional, technical and individual efficacy and efficiency.
  • Satisfy with greater ease the future requirements of the official Veterinary Service in matters of technical and paratechnical professionals, by managing the human resources needed to respond to an outbreak of high pathogenicity avian influenza. Provide guidance on resource and materials management, on the various domains in which different national poultry sector actors operate, and on the ways in which these domains interact with one another.

The exercise targets personnel of the official Veterinary Service (SENASA) and other national bodies, private sector actors, as well as representatives of the Veterinary Services of Member Countries of the Permanent Veterinary Committee of Conosur (CVP).

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World Animal Health Information and Analysis Department
World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)
[email protected]