AHI FACILITY Avian & Human Influenza 58051 SRI LANKA Safeguarding Livelihoods - On-the- Ground Collaboration Points the Way U nlike most of its South-East Asian neighbors, Sri Strengthening Preparedness Lanka has so far been fortunate enough not to experience an outbreak of H5N1. The emphasis of The emphasis in Sri Lanka has been on developing the AHI grant has been on preparedness. Even without preparedness, strengthening the surveillance system, an animal or public health crisis to provide urgency and training and communications. Emphasis is given to 35 focus considerable progress has been made and the hotspots, areas identified as particularly at risk from an country's capacity to monitor the situation and respond outbreak. Emergency response teams are organized at the has been greatly enhanced. As in other countries, the Provincial level and typically include Veterinary Surgeons, grant has leveraged other funding sources, provided Veterinary Investigation Officers (VIOs), Livestock continuity and produced results on the ground. Development Instructors and Public Health Officers. As well as providing training, equipment including An Important and Evolving Industry laboratory equipment, personal protection gear and vehicles to staff, improvements to the surveillance Over the past two decades the poultry industry has system include a hotline, a sampling program and a grown in importance in Sri Lanka. Evolving from a program targeting migratory birds. predominantly state run sector, it is now 95% in private hands, involves around 85,000 farmers, and impacts the Sri Lanka is on the migratory path of a large number of livelihoods of around one million people. There are bird species. Training in migratory bird identification and currently around 14 million poultry on the island and a handling was provided for Department of Animal total of 40 hatcheries. As well as the A great achievement of backyard poultry found throughout Asia, the Sri Lankan poultry this project is that we now industry is based on a "buy-back" work together - the model where companies contract Animal and Health out poultry management activities to small farmers who are provided Ministries inputs. Since the 1990`s several of - Dr. Dharshana Senanayake these concerns have grown large, with typically 500-700 contracted Additional Director-General, Min. farmers and potentially hundreds of Finance and Planning of thousand of birds. Many of the companies provide their own veterinary and lab services. Production and Health (DAPH) offices and VIOs. The response required close collaboration between the DAPH and the Department of Wildlife Conservation, who have facilitated the collection of samples in return for training and improved emergency preparedness. Training has been the most significant activity undertaken under the animal health component of the Project. Over 58,000 farmers, administrators, veterinarians, schoolteachers and schoolchildren have been trained to date. As in other countries, the reach of training has been extended by training of trainers. DAPH does note however that, with only 15% of farmers trained, more remains to levels. At the National level, a Ministerial Steering Committee be done. meets bi-annually and a multisectoral Technical Steering Committee holds monthly meetings and maintains a regularly updated The Department has developed close ties with local institutions. Emergency Preparedness Plan, prepared in collaboration with This "Links" programs includes collaboration with local universities, WHO, FAO and other agencies. At the local level, the extensive notably the Postgraduate Institute of Science (PGIS) at the reach of public health officers and midwives is playing an important University of Peradeniya. Courses developed included Highly role. All have been trained to recognize the signs of HPAI and how Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)/emergency preparedness for to collaborate with their animal health counterparts. Capacity- undergraduates, the application of disaster management principles building has largely been handled by the veterinary officers, was in HPAI and a certificate course in epidemiology. multi-tiered and included simulations across sectors. Rather than focussing only on avian influenza, the process was used to introduce Communications materials are extensive. Care has been taken not concepts of emergency preparedness and other infectious diseases. to alarm the population ahead of an outbreak. Even the threat of The Ministry saw this as an investment that would strengthen an outbreak and several false alarms had a significant production overall response capacity. and consumption impact. Communications materials that speak to outbreak response are available, if and when they are needed. Standing Ready with Work Still to be Done The Compensation Fund Guidelines have also been updated and a poultry farm registration program has been initiated to facilitate The AHI Facility has leveraged other sources of funds and provided future payments. Sri Lanka the resources necessary to strengthen an already well developed animal health and public health systems, supported In health, an existing IDA unprecedented collaboration Key Data Project has supported across the sectors and at the improvement of the multiple administrative levels There have been Grant Amount: $1.43 million surveillance system, and has strengthened the different types of including laboratory sur veillance system capacity building, Disbursement (to end March 2010): facilities, training and considerably. $0.71 million risk communications many multi-tiered. In materials. On the animal health side, all cases, either health Closing Date: March 2011 there remains important staff or animal health Isolation facilities have work to do to further been constructed in 21 motivate private sector staff have been present selected hospitals including the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH). poultry producers to take as resource persons Equipment was also provided to high dependency and intensive responsibility for their own providing alternate care units and Personal Protection Equipment was distributed preparedness. Rather than throughout. The Ministry notes that there are still gaps to be filled, waiting for Government to perspectives on avian notably the development of a high-risk lab (BSL3). lead, the producers have influenza every incentive to establish - Dr. Pabha Palihawadena Laboratories have been strengthened and the country can now their own awareness Project Director handle its own analysis as opposed to sending samples overseas. programs and emergency Over 2000 tests were carried out over the six month period when response plans. HSDP, Ministry of Health risk of an outbreak was at its peak and this program continues. Overall however, the main stakeholders are confident that Sri Lanka stands better prepared Cross-sectoral Collaboration on the Ground to deal with future outbreaks of HPAI and other infectious diseases. There is good collaboration at both the national and sub-national AHI The AHI Facility is a Multi-donor Trust Fund administered by the World Bank and supported by Australia, FACILITY China, the European Commission, Estonia, Iceland, India, Korea, Slovenia, the Russian Federation and the Avian & Human Influenza United Kingdom