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Animal Health Australia

Animal Health Australia (AHA) is a not-for-profit public Company established by the Australian Government, state and territory governments and major national livestock industry organisations.

Every time a sheep is sold a very small but significant amount goes to AHA to fund an array of important national animal health and welfare programs. WPA is a livestock member of AHA on behalf of all wool growers and contributes to a number of code and special programs. Some of the programs WPA contribute to include the following:

National Arbovirus Monitoring Program
The National Arbovirus Monitoring Program is an integrated national program jointly funded by the livestock industries and governments to monitor the distribution of economically important insect-borne viruses of livestock and their vectors, which includes Bluetongue, Akabane and Bovine Ephemeral Fever.

The Program has three major functional objectives:

• Trade support, in the sense of providing technical information to meet Biosecurity Australia's requirements for export protocol negotiations and to assist exporters in meeting export certification requirements. The Program particularly supports exports of live cattle and sheep.
• Bluetongue early warning, by the dynamic surveillance of the northern bluetongue endemic area to detect new incursions and provide early warning of any southern spread of the strains present. 
• Risk management, by providing epidemiological advice to producers and exporters with regard to arboviruses.

TSE Freedom Assurance Program
The purpose of the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) Freedom Assurance Program is to ‘enhance market confidence that Australian animals and animal products are free from TSEs through the structured and nationally integrated management of animal-related TSE activities.’

The purpose of the program will be fulfilled by meeting the following objectives:

1. To carry out sufficient surveillance to meet international requirements and assure trading partners, markets and consumers that Australian animals and animal products are free of TSEs and to ensure the early detection of a TSE (should it occur);
2. To demonstrate that no restricted animal material is fed to ruminants;
3. To manage the risks posed by animals imported from countries that have had cases of TSE;
4. To provide a nationally coordinated approach to TSE-related research and development;
5. To communicate Australia's favourable status for TSEs consistently and efficiently;
6. To ensure Australia is adequately prepared to address any TSE case, should it occur;
7. To identify emerging TSE-related issues and provide a framework for their management, if required;
8. To provide a forum to involve all stakeholders in addressing animal-related TSE issues; and
9. To increase the efficiency and consistency of management of animal-related TSE activities.

National Johne’s Disease Control Program
The National Johne’s Disease Control Program (NJDCP) aims to assist the livestock industries reduce the spread and impact of Johne's disease in Australia. It is a cooperative program involving Australian livestock industries, government and the veterinary profession. AHA manages the program on behalf of these key stakeholders.

Controlling Johne's disease involves limiting its spread between areas and properties and reducing the impact in affected herds. The NJDCP aims to achieve this through coordination of projects in market assurance, disease control, research, communication and information, training and extension and diagnostic methods.

Screw Worm Fly Preparedness Program
Old World Screw Worm Fly (SWF), which is endemic throughout much of Africa, parts of the Middle East, the Indian sub-continent and South East Asia including countries to Australia's north, is considered to be one of the most serious emergency animal disease threats facing Australia's livestock industries. The basis of this concern is that: an uncontrolled incursion of SWF would severely affect Australia's livestock industries; SWF would be difficult to control, especially as adults are free flying and can disperse over large distances; and SWF eradication, while theoretically possible by using the sterile insect technique (SIT), would be technically difficult and very expensive

AUSVETPLAN
Effective responses to emergency disease outbreaks require emergency disease planning at national, State/Territory and district level and the involvement of both animal health authorities and emergency management organisations. The basis for this planning is contained in the Australian Veterinary Emergency Plan (AUSVETPLAN).

Animal Health Australia, as the custodian of the AUSVETPLAN, works closely with the Australian Government, States and Territories and the livestock industries to determine priorities and continuously update the manuals to ensure their accuracy.

AUSVETPLAN is a series of technical response plans that describe the proposed Australian approach to an exotic disease incursion. The documents provide guidance based on sound analysis, linking policy, strategies, implementation, coordination and emergency-management plans.

FMD Vaccine Management
The national Government and Livestock Industry Policy Forum which was held in Canberra in November 2001 identified access to stocks of vaccine as a critical component of Australia's preparedness to respond to an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in this country.

As the outcome of a process initiated at the Policy Forum, in September 2004 Animal Health Australia contracted with Merial, a major international manufacturer of veterinary pharmaceuticals, to establish an FMD Vaccines Bank for the exclusive use of Australia.

The bank which is held at Merial's facility at Pirbright in the UK consists of sufficient quantities of antigens of nine strains of FMD for the manufacture of vaccines to enable Australia to respond to an outbreak of FMD.

The contract between AHA and Merial requires Merial to manufacture and deliver the required vaccines to Australia within seven working days of an order being lodged. Merial's experience in responding to outbreaks in other countries suggests that the vaccines could be delivered within five days of an order.

Funding for AHA to establish and manage the FMD Vaccine Bank has been shared by the Commonwealth government, the eight State and Territory governments and affected national livestock industry associations including WoolProducers Australia, Australian Pork Limited, Cattle Council of Australia, Australian Dairy Farmers Limited, Australian Lot Feeder's Association, Sheepmeat Council of Australia and the Goat Industry Council of Australia.

Further information:
Animal Health Australia