Measuring Impact

Research that works for developing countries and Australia

 

Understanding livestock movement and the risk of spread of transboundary animal diseases

Project ID:
AH/2006/025
Collaborating Countries:
Cambodia, Lao PDR
Project Locations
Commissioned Organisation:
Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia, Australia
Project Leader
Dr Chris Hawkins
Phone: 08 9651 1302
Fax: 08 9651 1008
Email: chawkins@agric.wa.gov.au
Collaborating Institutions:
  • Murdoch University, Australia
  • AusVet Animal Health Services, Australia
  • Department of Animal Health and Production, Cambodia
  • Department of Livestock and Fisheries, Laos
Project Budget:
$1,257,360
Project Duration:
01/05/2007 - 30/04/2012
ACIAR Research Program Manager
Dr Doug Gray
Project Overview

Transboundary animal diseases in Southeast Asia (including foot-and-mouth disease and classical swine fever) cause significant losses. Such diseases cross national borders and spread primarily to new areas through livestock movements. This project, involving Cambodia, Lao PDR and Australia, seeks to provide a detailed, timely, quantitative understanding of livestock movement patterns and their influence on the spread of disease, enabling researchers to quickly pinpoint high-risk areas. This will enable preventative actions to be taken and also aid the development of new strategies to minimise the risk of disease spread. Technology transfer workshops also involving Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, and China will promote the development of an integrated regional system.

Project Progress Reports
Year One

Cambodia
The project inception meeting was held in Phnom Penh in July 2007, although the project contract was not signed by the Cambodian partners until October 2007, resulting in a delayed start. Funds allocated for the Cambodian component of the project were first successfully transferred in January 2008. Since then, in-country funds have been used to run one training workshop on livestock movement data entry. This will form the basis of movement mapping, and provide a foundation for more detailed subsequent studies on movement patterns.

The project manager in Cambodia, Dr Holl Davun, a Deputy Director of NaVRI, has been heavily involved in completing further studies. This has taken him out of the country for significant periods. He is now seeking employment of project - specific staff.

To this stage, we have not been able to engage a volunteer for the Cambodian component of the project (we have planned and budgeted for two), principally because of the complete lack of volunteers. Some of the organisational functions expected from the volunteers will be addressed through the use of interim contract services. This interim arrangement is under regular review, subject to the willingness of in-country counterpart agreement, and would be terminated by the appointment of a volunteer after an appropriate handover period.

Dr Sorn San, a Director of NaVRI, who has a small but critical oversight role in this project in Cambodia, was the recipient of a John Dillon Fellowship, and has received project management training through this. It is anticipated that this upskilling will facilitate the outcomes of the Cambodian component of this project.

Laos
The Lao component of the project is scheduled to start in July 2008, and will coincide with the annual Project meeting. This will be held in Vientiane 30th June - 2nd July inclusive.

Volunteers for Lao are available, and will be engaged formally in the near future.

Following the inception meeting, a number of workshops are scheduled, including a data entry workshop in Vientiane, a parallel to that held in Phnom Penh in January this year.

In addition, Dr Farida Tilbury from Murdoch University will be holding a number of livestock trader workshops, thereby commencing the sociological component of the project, which seeks to elaborate the trader networks, and drivers for livestock movement.

Australia
The project has engaged the services of Dr Jim Kerr to manage the operational components of the project. Jim's appointment should facilitate development of project goals, through his experiences in overseas projects, and extensive involvement in state and national disease control and eradication programmes.

Dr Ben Madin has commenced his PhD through Murdoch University, analysing the movement data from Cambodia/Lao, and comparing this with Australian livestock movement data. The outcome of Ben's PhD should enhance livestock management practices in all three countries.