The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is awarding more than $16.3 million to 64 projects with states, universities, and other partners to strengthen our programs to protect animal health. Ensuring the health of animals helps protect and preserve U.S. export markets and keeping foreign animal diseases out of the U.S. helps us expand export opportunities for rural America to more and better markets.
This critical funding supports projects focused on enhancing vaccine distribution plans and supporting animal movement decisions in high-consequence animal disease outbreaks, delivering outreach and education on animal disease prevention and preparedness, and developing point-of-care diagnostic tests to rapidly detect foreign animal diseases. It also supports projects to enhance early detection of high-impact animal diseases and improve emergency response capabilities at veterinary diagnostic laboratories that are part of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN).
“These funding awards will help ensure the ongoing health of our nation’s livestock and poultry,” said Jenny Lester Moffitt, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. “Safeguarding U.S. animal health helps us expand export opportunities for rural America to more and better markets, while providing consistent access to safe, healthy, and affordable food for U.S. consumers. The preparedness and response activities we are funding today will help us address the animal disease issues of tomorrow and arm us with the best science available to retain international markets and feed our families and the world. I look forward to seeing the progress USDA and its partners make with these funds.”
The 2018 Farm Bill provided funding for these programs as part of an overall strategy to help prevent animal pests and diseases from entering the United States and reduce the spread and impact of potential disease incursions with the goal or protecting and expanding market opportunities for U.S. agricultural products. This is the third year APHIS is providing this Farm Bill funding. Last year, APHIS provided $14.4 million that funded 76 projects.
NADPRP
APHIS is awarding $7.6 million through the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP). The 36 NADPRP funded projects will individually and collectively address critical concerns in areas of vaccine distribution, animal movement and business continuity during a disease outbreak, and disease prevention and preparedness outreach and education. These projects will be led by State animal health authorities in 21 states, land-grant universities, and industry/veterinary organizations.
NAHLN
APHIS is awarding $4.4 million through the NAHLN. The 21 NAHLN funded projects will be led by NAHLN laboratories representing 14 states. The projects will help NAHLN enhance early detection of high-consequence animal diseases and improve emergency response capabilities at NAHLN veterinary diagnostic laboratories. This funding is in addition to the $2.5 million provided noncompetitively for NAHLN infrastructure.
Joint NADPRP/NAHLN
APHIS is awarding $4.3 million for 7 NADPRP/NAHLN joint projects representing 6 States. These projects will support the development and/or evaluation of point-of-care diagnostic tests to enhance the nation’s ability to quickly detect high-consequence FADs and accelerate response and containment efforts. This is the first joint competitive funding opportunity provided by NAHLN and NADPRP.
A full list of NADPRP-funded projects and Joint NAHLN / NADPRP-funded projects are available on the NADPRP website here: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/ad-preparedness-response-program/
A full list of NAHLN-funded projects and Joint NAHLN / NADPRP-funded projects are available on the NAHLN website here:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/lab-info-services/nahln/ct_national_animal_health_laboratory_network
Source : usda.gov