A public-private partnership approach to help control the spread of African swine fever (ASF) has commenced, coinciding with a recent global event called 'Stop ASF: Public and Private Partnering for Success'.

This event, organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), attracted 1,300 participants from 132 countries, representing the public and the private sectors.

Through this event, the importance of public-private partnership and the need for increased engagement of industry leaders were highlighted as key drivers for success.

The current ASF crisis has contributed to the death of millions of animals around the world in the last number of years, destroying livelihoods of pig farmers.

It is considered one of the major global animal-disease outbreaks of our generation, according to the OIE.

"While the disease poses no direct health risks to humans, it represents a barrier to the livestock sector to reach its full potential, generate employment and alleviate poverty," the OIE said in a statement.

It continued:

"Therefore, improved exchange of knowledge, increased awareness and trust among public and private stakeholders are crucial in implementing efficient and coordinated ASF control strategies."

A report on 'Stop ASF: Public and Private Partnering for Success' will be available soon, and will outline the key opportunities for public-private partnership identified during the event.