Canada to assist FMD eradication in S.America

The Government of Canada has announced that it is committing CAD660,000 (US$656,0000) over the next two years to assist governments in South America in efforts to eradicate foot and mouth disease (FMD).

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Macleod, Alberta, Ted Menzies, made the announcement at a meeting with senior Argentinean agriculture officials last week.

Minister for agriculture, Gerry Ritz commented that "Canada has state-of-the-art scientific expertise and technologies for FMD management that can benefit other countries."

By sharing these capabilities, Canada can strengthen international relationships and gathering strategic information to enhance its own foreign animal disease management strategies.

Canada will contribute laboratory equipment and training in FMD diagnostic technologies and computer simulation modelling to assess, predict and manage FMD outbreaks.

The initiative is being carried out in cooperation with the Pan-American Health Organisation's FMD Centre for South America and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture of the Organisation of American States.

Related websites:

â€¢ Pan-American Health Organisation

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