Manila: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is keen to reinforce inter-agency cooperation in regulating and making available animal vaccines to safeguard animal health and national food security. The spread of African swine fever (ASF) and avian influenza (AI) is a major animal health threat that has affected the pork and poultry industries in the country, the FDA said in a news release on Wednesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, to curb the infection and prevent the disruption of the country's food supply chains, FDA Director General Paolo Teston and Department of Agriculture (DA) - Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Undersecretary Constante Palabrica discussed recently the national programs aimed at controlling both ASF and AI outbreaks.

Teston stated that the FDA is ready to assist the DA in navigating the regulatory pathways for veterinary vaccines crucial for national preparedness and agricultural recovery. He added that the agency would evaluate the submissions to check on the vaccine's quality, safety, and efficacy, with dispatch amid the rising number of livestock deaths due to ASF and AI.

Palabrica, meanwhile, expressed that the DA, through the BAI, is committed to facilitating the completion of the Monitored Release (post-marketing) requirements and compliance with the regulatory process of the FDA. On July 30 last year, the FDA and DA-BAI jointly announced the approval of the country's first ASF vaccine, starting a coordinated public health and regulatory response to the ASF crisis.

Both agencies reaffirmed their shared commitment to a whole-of-government approach in securing the country's agricultural resilience, ensuring access to essential veterinary products, and safeguarding the integrity of the national food system. Since its initial outbreak in 2019, ASF has impacted the production and prices of pork in the country. The outbreaks in 76 out of 82 provinces caused significant economic losses for the swine industry, with some areas reporting more than PHP100 million losses.

Apart from the National Zoning and Movements Plan implemented by local authorities, the DA continues to administer government-controlled ASF vaccination.