Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh directs the prevention and control of cattle and poultry diseases

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh Has Just signed Official Telegram No. 31/CD-TTg of the Prime Minister to the Chairman of the People's Committee of provinces and cities directly under the Central Government and the Ministers of Agriculture and Environment, Health, Police, Defense, Industry and Trade, Finance along with relevant sectors and branches.

According to the Official Telegram, recent reports from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment show that the first three months of 2025 recorded six A/H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks in four provinces and cities and 84 African swine fever epidemics in 22 provinces and cities. Seven provinces suffer from feet of foot and mouth disease. Five provinces have experienced lumpy skin disease outbreaks. Over 18,926 poultry and 5,200 pigs were destroyed.

Twenty people died from rabies in 13 provinces and 80 animals in 22 provinces and cities were destroyed due to suspected rabies. One thing to note is that the number of provinces and cities suspected of rabies have decreased over the same period last year but the number of deaths due to rabies shows a significant increase. The risk of disease outbreaks seems to be on the rise in the near future, seriously affecting the lives of people and the environment and creating disruption in the food supply chain.

In the face of the current situation, the Prime Minister requests the presidents of People's Committees of provinces and cities directly under the Central Government, the Ministers and heads of relevant agencies to actively direct and implement synchronous, drastic and effective solutions according to their functions, tasks and competence. The ultimate goal is to prevent cattle and poultry diseases in accordance with the provisions of the law on veterinary and the directives of the Prime Minister.

The national programs and plans to prevent cattle and poultry diseases focus on a number of tasks:

Localities direct and mobilize legal resources to completely handle outbreaks, avoid the recurrence of disease outbreaks and limit the generation of new outbreaks; treat and destroy diseased livestock or those suspected of getting disease symptoms; proactively implement measures and policies to support farmers who are damaged by disease in accordance with the law.

Local authorities promptly detect, prevent and strictly handle cases of trading, transporting diseased livestock, and throwing dead animals to spread disease and pollute the environment; proactively prevent disease for pets, proactively vaccinate cattle and poultry against infectious diseases, ensuring a minimum of over 80% of the total livestock is currently vaccinated; do not let the reorganization of local apparatus affect the prevention and control of epidemics.

Specialized agencies must guide farmers to enhance the application of hygienic measures to prevent diseases for livestock; concentrate resources to organize the construction of disease-free establishments and animal husbandry areas; proactively handle newly discovered diseases; strictly handle cases of hiding epidemics or slow reporting of disease spread.

Heads of grassroots levels strengthen the management of quarantine and control of animal and animal product transportation; organize the prevention and strictly handle cases of illegal transport of animal and animal products across the border; fortify inspection, supervision, detection and strict handling of cases of trading, transporting and slaughtering animals that do not meet the requirements of disease prevention and food safety.

The Prime Minister assigns the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to preside over and coordinate with ministries, branches and localities to focus on directing, urging and supervising the prevention and control of animal diseases in localities; proactively monitor the disease situation, ensure early detection, warning and provide directives to thoroughly deal with outbreaks, not letting the disease spread to a wide area.

It is also deemed essential for the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to work with international organizations in terms of supporting control and intensive analysis during the prevention and control of cattle and poultry diseases and expanding disease management through the online system.

The Ministry of Health directs the addition of professional and technical personnel and organizes inspection and supervision of the implementation of animal-to-human disease prevention and control.

The Ministry of Public Security directs units and local police to coordinate with the functional forces of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the local authorities to prevent and strictly handle cases of illegal smuggling, illegal transport of animals and animal products in accordance with the law.

The Ministry of Defense directs the Border Guard force to coordinate closely with the functional units of ministries, branches and local authorities to strictly handle cases of illegal imports of animals and animal products; disseminate information to the borderland people about the dangers of animal diseases and the harmful effects when trading and transporting animals and animal products of unknown origin.

The Ministry of Finance needs to promptly allocate funds to serve the prevention and control of animal diseases on the basis of the proposal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, ensuring compliance with the law on the State budget and other relevant laws.