Strengthening collaboration to tackle ASF threats: Key insights from the 'From research to policy' workshop

The workshop “From research to policy: Improving animal disease prevention and control in Vietnam,” organized in October 2024, marked the first time domestic and international research organizations have joined hands with Vietnamese policymakers in a mutual effort to mitigate the impact of diseases on livestock production.

Dr Hung Nguyen, the lead of Health Program at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), shared some highlights of the workshop. He noted that in Vietnam, African swine fever poses an ongoing challenge. Though Vietnamese researchers have generated substantial evidence on African swine fever and are experimenting with various types of vaccines, there is still much to be done and many areas to explore.

At the request of policymakers, researchers from both the international and national communities are encouraged to collaborate closely with policymakers to revise and develop a new National Action Plan for controlling ASF once the current plan concludes in 2025.

For MARD agencies, African swine fever represents a formidable “enemy” that the livestock industry must remain vigilant against. Without strict regulation of animal trade, slaughter, and transportation, it will be difficult to trace sources of infection.

Until now, no country in the world can guarantee complete safety from African swine fever risks. Therefore, Vietnam must proceed cautiously in developing and deploying vaccines to mitigate risks effectively.