Managing animal health emergencies through prevention and preparedness in Oceania.

Most countries in Oceania have adequate quarantine legislation, systems and staff to prevent the introduction of new animal diseases. Surveillance and preparedness for dealing with incursions of such diseases are less developed, except in those countries with larger livestock populations. The degree of preparedness for animal health emergencies in the different countries of the region reflects the relative economic importance of exotic diseases to each particular country. For those countries with significant populations of farm animals, appreciable efforts and money are expended. However, in the smaller island countries, it can be assumed that the likelihood of an exotic disease incursion is low and the impact on the economy would be comparatively small. For these reasons, it would be unreasonable to expect these countries to commit significant resources to develop programmes equivalent to those in New Zealand and Australia, for example. Nevertheless, there is a need for increased co-operation between countries in the region. An assessment of each country to determine what resources are available and how they may be used in various aspects of an animal disease emergency, including co-ordinated information sharing, would enable smaller island countries to be fully prepared in the case of an emergency.