A high-ranking US official visited the northern province of Hung Yen and held talks with officials in Hanoi to learn more about Vietnam’s efforts to combat the deadly and costly avian influenza virus. 

A farmer is feeding her poultry. USAID has provided support to train animal and human health workers and local government officials in interventions that will help prevent and control outbreaks of avian influenza.

Ambassador Robert Loftis, the U.S. Special Representative for Avian and Pandemic Influenza, joined by senior representatives from the United Nations System Influenza Coordination office, Tuesday visited Khoa Nhu village, where many villagers operate small-scale poultry farms and hatcheries. 

Working collectively, the community has improved village hygiene, farmers’ individual practices, and community-wide perceptions about the risks and prevention of avian influenza.

The international visitors attended the village’s monthly meeting, during which the community discusses common challenges to raising healthy poultry, agrees on solutions, and records them in a village-wide agreement.  For instance, the community has worked together to clean up canals around the village and ensure that poultry waste is no longer dumped into this water source. All households now bag poultry waste for weekly collection. 

The model village and community-based surveillance systems are implemented in Hung Yen with assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Avian Influenza Mekong Initiative, managed by Abt Associates Inc. 

Since 2006, USAID has provided support to Hung Yen to train animal and human health workers and local government officials in interventions that will help prevent and control outbreaks of avian influenza. 

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