The Flying Vets Workshop: Wildlife Disease Surveillance took place from 5-6 October, 2022 in Mongolia and was hosted by the CIC and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE).
The event sought to advance on the topic of wildlife disease surveillance which was first explored in the Flying Vets multi-stakeholder meeting in August, 2022.
The Flying Vets Workshop also aimed to build on the larger need to identify the requirements to implement Mongolia’s OneHealth Approach, a goal that was established at the International Health Regulations (IHR)–PVS National Bridging Workshop (NBW) in June.
The workshop took place in a hybrid format, and some 60 participants were present on-site. Among those in attendance was the General Authority for Veterinary Services (GAVS) and colleagues from the State Central Veterinary Laboratory (SCVL), as well as GAVS representatives from Mongolia’s provinces.
The stated objectives of this workshop were to:
- To raise awareness on national and international activities relating to wildlife health and conservation.
- To share information on the current situation of wildlife disease surveillance in Mongolia.
- To explore opportunities for optimization of integrated wildlife disease surveillance and reporting systems with multiple stakeholders in Mongolia.
- To strengthen sustainable capacity for wildlife disease surveillance in Mongolia involving collaborative support from different sectors and organisations.
A key topic explored during the event was the need for all stakeholders to take increased responsibility over the issue of wildlife health.
Amongst the provincial, local and national veterinarians – as well as NGOs – in attendance, there was a mutual feeling that the recently established Inter-Ministerial OneHealth Committee should be leading matters in relation to wildlife health.
Participants were divided into five groups to initially identify needs and gaps along with priority actions to inform a roadmap.
a) Wildlife disease diagnostics and detection
b) Human resources – education and capacity building
c) Data management – collection, storage, analysis, reporting
d) Information sharing & communication
e) Governance
The workshop concluded with ten key priorities and a roadmap for further development and implementation. The workshop was one more step towards enhancing collaboration across the different sectors involved in the Flying Vets.
Looking ahead, the outcomes from the event will inform the creation of a Flying Vets action plan in support of Mongolia’s OneHealth Approach. It will further spell out the ten priorities which will serve as the blueprint for the project; funding is being secured for its implementation with the Mongolian stakeholders.
