PROGRESS TO DATE

The following key achievements have been made up to the end of May 2008:

Strategy & regulation

• National plan for prevention and control of Influenza pandemic finalised

• National Crisis Centre contingency plan for Influenza pandemic prepared

• Table of correspondence between Turkish law and EU veterinary directives drawn up

• Draft AI sub-law adopted and entered into force

• Draft sub-law for Newcastle Disease completed public consultation period

Studies/surveillance & information systems

• Current studies and surveillance programmes assessed

• AI field manual prepared for wild bird and backyard poultry surveillance and distributed to all veterinarians

• Successful outbreak investigations carried out along the Black Sea coast with important conclusions regarding the role wild birds in introducing the virus

• Package of measures agreed with Ministries of Agriculture and of Environment & Forestry aimed at introducing safe hunting

• Presentation on safe hunting given to First Hunting & Wildlife Symposium in Alanya

• Interdisciplinary task force established for wildlife monitoring

• Turkvet veterinary information system basic modules activated       

• Turkvet upgrades completed

• Turkvet reviewed and support/maintenance needs analysed

• Workshop held on AI surveillance in wild birds

Strengthening veterinary services & coordination

• Turkish Veterinary Services evaluated by OIE team with project team participation

• International AI Congress held in Antalya including presentations from project team

• Training delivered for waterfowl capture and handling

• BSL3 laboratory upgrade specifications and implementation plan prepared for Etlik, Pendik and Bornova AI laboratories

• ToR for BSL3 upgrade independent supervisor and manager prepared

• Epidemiology and laboratory training delivered in conjunction with USDA

• 292 trainers for AI preparedness and response trained in Ankara, Elaziğ, Izmir, Samsun, Istanbul, Adana and Erzurum regions

• Further AI preparedness and response training prepared for Konya region

• Consolidated schedule of all donors AI training prepared

• Real-scale simulation exercise held in Samsun

• Links to AI websites catalogued

• Project website www.aiproject,org prepared and regularly updated

• Presentations on laboratory biosecurity & biosafety and on table-top exercise training given in World Bank international videoconference

• AI diagnostic laboratories assessed re biosafety requirements and BSL-2 upgrade needs

Awareness & control measures

• Continued discussion of ideas to improve risk communication and behaviour change with Strategic Communications Working Group

• Collaborated with World Bank study of Poultry Keeping Systems, AI & Biosecurity and helped to formulate pilot projects

• Training presentations for WB prepared

• Compartmentalisation expert mission completed – report prepared and presentations given - follow-up mission planned

• Hunters’ guidelines prepared and published on MoEF website

• Tracking of spent hens enabled in Turkvet system

• Poultry manure and carcass management manual printed and distributed

• Article prepared for international publication on the role of hunting in AI introduction into backyard poultry

• TV interviews given on AI situation including improved reporting & response

Technical Assistance to Avian Influenza Preparedness & Response

An EU-funded project managed by the Central Finance & Contracts Unit