USAID Supports Poultry Market Upgrade to Reduce Risk of Disease
A vendor sells poultry in the newly-refurbished Dong Ha market. Photo: USAID/APII
The refurbished poultry market, funded by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and carried out in partnership with the Provincial Coordination Unit, Dong Ha City People's Committee and the Market Management Board, provides a model for other provinces to follow. Representatives from Bac Ning, Hanoi, Hoa Binh, Hue, Hung Yen, Nghe An, Quang Binh and Vinh Phuc attended the opening event.
"We expect that the Dong Ha market model will become a demonstration and learning laboratory for others to adopt and adapt," said USAID Office of Health Director Jonathan Ross. "There are hundreds of markets throughout Vietnam that trade in live and plucked poultry on a daily basis. These markets are in a position to apply the technical concepts and designs, and adopt the practices and behaviors that will result in improved biosecurity and biosafety."
An agreement earlier this year between the USAID Avian and Pandemic Influenza Initiative, Dong Ha's People's Committee and the project's Provincial Coordination Unit led to clearly assigned roles, responsibilities and financial contributions of each party. Once construction was completed last month, the USAID project team provided training on risk reduction, safe handling of poultry and improved market and hygiene practices for the Market Management Board, Veterinary Officers, and market vendors.
The overall aim of this initiative is to help reduce the risk of spread of diseases among those who handle the birds and purchase and consume poultry from Dong Ha Market while improving the business operations for market vendors.
"This initiative plays a significant role in creating a safe and favorable place for local people to sell and buy poultry products, raise public awareness on reducing the risk of infectious diseases in humans and contributing to the city's efforts in controlling the spread of diseases," said Deputy Chairman of Dong Ha City People's Committee Mr. Le Cong Dinh.He added that with the support from local authorities and the community, the upgraded poultry sections in Dong Ha City Market "will prove their efficiency in preventing bird flu, protecting and improving people's health and contributing to the city's socio-economic development."
The upgrading was funded and carried out by USAID's Avian and Pandemic Influenza Initiative with additional financial and other support provided by the provincial government as well as private funds from market vendors.
Together with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other partners, the project initially conducted a risk assessment and identified supply chain points for avian influenza risk reduction and development of demonstration models on improved biosecurity and biosafety. Project staff-designed the technical interventions for the market's live and plucked bird sections in collaboration with local counterparts.
USAID's Avian and Pandemic Influenza Initiative is a three-year project running through September 2012. Implemented by Abt Associates Inc. and building on previous experiences, the project strengthens the capacity of the Government of Vietnam and its counterparts to identify, prevent, and control outbreaks of avian influenza and other emerging infectious and zoonotic diseases in animals and humans. Activities have been implemented nationally and in the focus provinces of Can Tho, Ha Nam, Hung Yen, Kien Giang, and Quang Tri. The project is now moving beyond the focus areas and taking lessons learned and models to other provinces for wider adoption and replication with local resources. http://vietnam.usaid.gov/usaid-supports-poultry-market-upgrade-reduce-risk-disease
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