Highly Pathogenic Emerging Diseases (HPED) in Asia
The number of highly pathogenic emerging and re-emerging diseases (HPEDs) is expected to increase, creating a constant threat especially in developing countries. It is thus essential to strengthen capacities of health and veterinary services at a regional level, so as to ensure good prevention systems and adequate capacity for responding to outbreaks. The EU has made this a priority activity through its Regional Cooperation Programme on HPEDs in Asia.
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News! A brochure |
Facts on the EU regional HPED in Asia
EU contribution: €20 million.
Duration: December 2009 – December 2013
Beneficiaries: South and Southeast Asia
Partners: World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), World Health Organisation (WHO)
What does the HPED Programme do?
It provides funding to strengthen animal health and human health services and to develop regional efforts to combat the diseases.
While targeting all diseases with a high potential for crises, the HPED programme has a particular focus on avian influenza.
The HPED programme shall enable the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to control HPEDs and to improve epidemic and pandemic preparedness in the region.
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Separate projects implemented by OIE, FAO and WHO
[2 MB] (second page of the document).
The programme takes an inter-sectoral, integrated One Health approach to disease prevention and control, thus broadening the scope of the EU response to the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) crisis.
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More about the EU’s regional HPED programme in Asia
[6 MB] . (page 12 of the document)
Recent activities
A networking event was organised in Bangkok for the stakeholders of the HPED programme in January 2011. The purpose of the meeting was introducing and promoting the new regional programme, stimulating discussion on the One Health approach, and creating links between the various actors of the programme. The two-day meeting gathered about 60 actors from Asia and Europe.
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Workshop report [278 KB]
Implementation of HPED programme activities is managed within the Regional Steering Committee (RSC) for Asia and the Pacific of the Global Framework for Progressive Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases (GF-TADs). The first steering committee [24 KB] of the programme took place alongside the RSC GF-TADs for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok in July 2010.
Why the HPED Programme?
Addressing pandemics and HPEDs is part of the EU’s commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
More than 3.9 billion people, or 60% of the world population, live in Asia, a continent that contributes 31.75% to the global burden of infectious diseases (Global Disease Burden, WHO, 2002). The regional programme targets specifically the Southeast and South Asia, aiming at improving food security, preserving human health and nutrition, and reducing trade disruption in the region - thus alleviating poverty, through the prevention and control of HPEDs.