THE World Organisation for Animal Health has provided US$35,000 to the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries to help its campaign to eradicate foot and mouth disease in Tanintharyi Division.

A director of the ministry’s Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department, Dr Than Hla, said the funding support from the Paris-based organisation would be used for managing animal movements, training, public awareness campaigns and research in two districts in the division.

“We will use the funding to buy motor bikes and essential laboratory equipment, and for sero-survillence in Kawthoung and Myeik districts,” said Dr Than Hla.

Kawthoung District is currently declared a control zone and is expected to be declared free of foot and mouth next year as part of a campaign being conducted with Thailand and Malaysia.

Myeik District, which is a buffer zone, is expected to be upgraded next year to a control zone for foot and mouth, a highly infectious disease among cattle, goats, sheep and pigs.

Dr Than Hla said a commission established by Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia in 2003 had agreed to give priority to eradicating the disease in the two districts.

The commission’s strategy involves the establishment of control and buffer zones that gradually progress towards disease-free status.

Dr Than Hla said buffer zones were designated at Myeik District and parts of southern Thailand and northern Malaysia.

The main activities in the zones include movement control surveillance, testing to detect new strains of the disease and vaccination campaigns where they were needed.

Dr Than Hla said foot and mouth disease was a big obstacle to trade in animals and animal products at the local, regional and international levels.

He said Thailand had agreed to provide 25,000 doses of vaccines last year to help establish the disease-free zone and so far had supplied 5000 doses.

Dr Than Hla said the department was also trying to establish the disease-free zones in southern Sagaing Division, eastern Shan State and some areas of Rakhine State.

While the department had many technical staff, it would need financial assistance for surveillance activities and the supply of vaccines to establish the disease free zones, he said. Dr Than Hla said achieving foot and mouth free status in the region would help to ensure food security and food safety and contribute to enhanced international trade in livestock.