April 17, 2008

Pakistani poultry group proposes bird flu programme

The Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) has proposed a bird flu programme to ensure the sustainability of the domestic poultry industry and to raise consumer awareness.

PPA is urging the government to secure 3 billion doses of bird flu vaccines to prepare for any future bird flu outbreak. PPA also proposed a 50 percent subsidy on imported H5N1 vaccines.

Immediate steps should be taken to ensure that the poultry sector could meet the requirement of poultry meat and eggs of Pakistanis, according to Abdul Basit, chairman of PPA.

Basit said that vaccinations in a 50 km radius in outbreak areas are vital for poultry farmers.

Basit said that poultry farms should be registered legally and approvals for the construction of new poultry farms must be acquired from the provincial secretaries of livestock and dairy development.

The approvals should include important guidelines such as at least 1 km of distance should be maintained between poultry farms, whereas hatcheries or breeding farms should be kept 3 km away from poultry farms.

Transportation of humans and animals should be checked as well, and a proposed poultry farm should have a boundary wall, gate, biosecurity room as well as a mortality pit, according to Basit.

Basit also suggested an investment for public awareness of bird flu. In Bangladesh, the lack of public awareness has slowed down the efforts of containing the virulent disease.