Viet Nam successfully organized the 3rd International Conference of the Zoonotic Diseases Action Package (ZDAP) of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA)
Building on previous Conferences in Ha Noi, Viet Nam (2015) and Jakarta, Indonesia (2016), the 3rd Conference aimed at reviewing the progress of the action plan over the past two years, and identifying lessons and next steps to strengthen and coordinate prevention, surveillance, and response capacities to minimise the spill over and transmission of zoonotic diseases from animals (both domestic and wild) to human. A new coordination mechanism for countries and organizations participating in this initiative was also introduced.
Viet Nam was represented at the Conference by Vice Minister Nguyen Thanh Long of the Mnistry of Health and Vice Minister Vu Van Tam of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The Conference co-chairs included Dr Fuadi Darwis, Senior Advisor of the Advisory Board, National Disaster Management Authority of the Government of Indonesia, and Dr Papa Serigne Seck, Technical Advisor of the Prime Minister of Senegal in charge of Animal Health, Livestock and Fisheries. Around 170 delegates attended, including 117 participants from 16 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America and 49 participants from 16 international and domestic organizations. Technical advice to the meeting was provided by international organizations including the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Organization for Animal Health, and other development partners.
With the theme of “Strengthening Cooperation and Sharing Effective Approaches,”, nine sessions were convened during the two-day event, resulting in important outcomes as well as proposed follow-up activities in the upcoming time, as follows:
· Endorsement of the updated ZDAP Strategic Plan as an important document setting out baseline information, gaps and challenges, expected activities, achievements and plans at global, regional and country levels in achieving the ZDAP five-year goal, objectives and desired impacts.
· Endorsement of the ZDAP Coordination Mechanism as a practical and effective approach to strengthening ZDAP coordination, building on the achievements to date.
· A recommendation that the leading and contributing countries, contributing organizations and key partners should move ahead to ensure the implementation of the ZDAP Coordination Mechanism, including: Applying the rotating model of chairing amongst the leading countries; Maintaining the contact list of ZDAP focal points; Leading countries should identify the timing for their regular working groups; Organizing regular tele/videoconferences of ZDAP leading and contributing countries, contributing organizations and partners; Further documenting best practices/models and sharing these within the ZDAP network; Organizing the next annual ZDAP Conference (Senegal 2018).
· To build on the successive conferences, implementation of the ZDAP coordination mechanism and the ZDAP Strategic Plan, ZDAP countries, organizations and partners should pay attention to planning and follow up activities, for example: Documenting and sharing their models; Ensuring their ZDAP focal point contacts are updated; Ensuring their participation in tele/videoconferences; Travel arrangements to participate in key events such as the GHSA High-Level Meeting in October 2017 and the next ZDAP Conference in Senegal (in the role of the new ZDAP leading country) in 2018.
The positive results of the 3rd International ZDAP Conference and the strong commitment of ZDAP leading and contributing countries in strengthening collaboration in zoonotic diseases prevention and control provide a good example to other Action Packages of the GHSA, creating more opportunities for countries to implement this important Agenda. Information about the event could be found at: https://www.ghsagenda.org/.
