Risk management

What does the future of risk-based meat inspection look like and what are the challenges delaying the implementation of a more modern Risk-based approach? This was debated last April, in Brussels, at the closing meeting of RIBIMINS Cost Action. Isabel Lechner and Pedro Moura presented the findings of a pre-event questionnaire capturing participants' views and perspectives on the current main hazards and operational challenges in meat inspection and barriers to the implementation of RB-MSAS.

SAFOSO, on behalf of FAO-Pakistan, assessed the technical feasibility of establishing a FMD-free zone with vaccination in the Bahawalpur Division, Punjab, in accordance with the requirements outlined by WOAH. Marco De Nardi visited Punjab in February-March, where he conducted several field visits and held multiple interviews with veterinary authorities, diagnostic laboratories, livestock owners, and traders.

Who are the people behind SAFOSO? What inspires them and how do they contribute to solving animal health challenges? Jessica Wang shares her story.

SAFOSO AG is supporting this important COST action initiative as consortium member and national coordinator of the activities in Switzerland.

It is difficult to predict what, when and where new health threats will emerge. That’s why the European Commission’s new strategic plan for the control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD) highlights improved early warning systems as a priority area. As part of this strategy, syndromic surveillance (SyS) could be a very valuable tool to complement and integrate ongoing surveillance efforts to improve early detection and early warning for FAST (FMD, Rift Valley Fever, Peste des Petits Ruminants, Capripoxviruses and Lumpy Skin disease) and other transboundary diseases.

Who are the people behind SAFOSO? What inspires them and how do they contribute to solving animal health challenges? Pedro Moura shares his story.

In recent years, we have seen more and more disease spillover events from animals into people. Before SARS-CoV-2 swept the planet, humans were combatting unprecedented outbreaks of diseases like Zika virus in 2015 and Ebola virus in 2014. Cases of these diseases continue to be reported today1,2. Battles against devastating diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis, influenza, and malaria have been ongoing for many years. And now, we are seeing an unprecedented global outbreak of monkeypox and the emergence of Langya virus in people.

The Corona pandemic is not quite over when an unprecedented number of monkeypox cases are already making headlines around the globe. Is this just a coincidence or should we expect an increase in viral disease outbreaks in the future? What does this mean for businesses? Our Co-CEO Patrik Buholzer was interviewed on these questions by GU-Sicherheit, a Swiss company specialized on crisis management and crisis communication for business.

The Induction Training of the new EU-FORA project, funded by EFSA, started on the 5th of September and will run for 3 weeks in EFSA premises in Parma (Italy). Fifteen students (fellows) were selected to participate to the training. The induction training is coordinated by SAFOSO and implemented by a consortium including tutors from various European institutions. The focus of the training is on the EU regulatory and international framework regarding food safety and on the implementation of food safety risk assessment including data collection methodology and the statistical principles needed. The didactic is based on the experiential learning (“learning-by-doing”) concept and the learner is encouraged to actively engage throughout the program by asking questions, investigating, problem solving, decision making and taking responsibility.

SAFOSO AG implemented an Animal Health Surveillance workshop in Montenegro on 13 July 2022 for various veterinary competent authorities in the Balkan region with the main objectives of introducing the concept and methods for improving passive surveillance through the identification and collection of individual and population health indicators and discussing its impact on early detection of Foot and Mouth Disease and similar transboundary (FAST) diseases. The EU-FMD supported this workshop under its Pillar I framework. The feasibility and benefits of adopting and integrating of such a passive surveillance system in the current national surveillance efforts were discussed.

The environment sector needs assessment workshop for Indonesia took place in June 2022 organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization – Asia and Pacific Region technical team, IPB University, and SAFOSO for further engagement of the environment sector in One Health. A total of about 40 participants from 16 different organizations participated in the hybrid-format workshop based in Bogor City.

Today’s headlines are dominated by diseases such as COVID-19, African Swine Fever and Avian Influenza. These pandemics have exposed the vulnerability of the modern food production chain and the huge implications for animal welfare and food security . Some experts believe that outbreaks of new (and old) diseases will occur more often in the future and will have a huge impact on the food production system. It is important to better understand the impact and to identify options to make the global food system more resilient.