On July 24, 2024, on behalf of the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Ha Sy Dong signed and issued Directive No. 07/CT - UBND on strictly implementing measures to prevent and control African swine fever in the province. The Directive clearly states:

According to the report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, since the beginning of the year, the country has had over 660 outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) in 44 provinces and cities, forcing the destruction of over 42,400 pigs, especially in the provinces of Bac Kan, Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Hoa Binh, Son La, Quang Nam and Long An... causing losses to livestock farmers.

In Quang Tri, on May 3, 2024, ASF in a household's pig herd in Tan Long commune, Huong Hoa district, forced the destruction of 24 infected pigs. The epidemic is on the rise in many provinces and cities, with a high risk of spreading to the province, seriously affecting production and the lives of farmers.

Faced with that situation, to mobilize the combined strength of the entire political system to prevent, combat and control DTLCP promptly and effectively, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee directed:

1. Chairman of People's Committee of districts, towns and cities

Report to the Standing Committee of the District Party Committee, City Party Committee, and Town Party Committee to focus on leadership and direction, and proactively organize and implement drastic, synchronous, and effective measures to prevent and control DTLCP, considering the task of preventing and controlling DTLCP as a key and urgent task at this time. Focus on leading and directing all levels of government, the Fatherland Front, unions and social organizations... to urgently, resolutely, and synchronously implement measures in accordance with the direction of the Secretariat, the National Assembly, the Government, the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Provincial People's Committee, focusing on the following specific tasks:

a. Directing local authorities to focus on leadership, direction and coordination with functional agencies, professional forces, and information and propaganda agencies to mobilize people and livestock farmers to synchronously implement solutions to prevent and control ASF; strengthening inspection and close supervision of livestock and slaughterhouses to promptly detect, prevent and strictly handle cases of buying, selling, transporting sick pigs, and dumping dead pigs that spread disease and pollute the environment.

b. Strengthen the steering committees at all levels on livestock, poultry and aquatic disease prevention and control, clearly define the responsibilities of organizations, individuals and heads of government at all levels in disease prevention and control. If localities do not implement the above measures well and allow disease outbreaks, the chairmen of the district, town and city People's Committees and local authorities must be responsible to the chairman of the provincial People's Committee.

c. Proactively review and adjust the plan for preventing and controlling DTLCP appropriately and closely to local conditions; prepare human, material and financial resources to promptly handle any outbreaks.

d. Instruct livestock farmers to increase the application of hygiene and disinfection measures in barns and surrounding areas at high risk; promote bio-safe livestock farming, build disease-free livestock facilities and areas.

d. Strengthen communication, guidance and recommendations for people to vaccinate pigs against ASF; organize specific and accurate reviews and statistics of the total pig herd and estimate the number of pigs in need of ASF vaccination; the organization of ASF vaccination must be synchronous and at the same time according to the instructions of specialized agencies.

e. For localities where the epidemic occurs:

- Resolutely direct the strict implementation of epidemic prevention regulations, comply with the instructions of veterinary professional agencies; mobilize all forces and organizations to quickly surround, extinguish, and prevent the spread of the epidemic.

- Strictly implement epidemic prevention and reporting regime, at the same time propagate, mobilize and require livestock farmers to comply with mandatory vaccination according to regulations for livestock subject to vaccination; implement 5 no's: "no hiding epidemics; no buying sick pigs or products of sick pigs; no selling sick pigs; no transporting sick pigs out of epidemic areas; no indiscriminately dumping sick pig carcasses into the environment".

- Organize inter-sectoral forces to inspect, control and strictly handle cases of transporting, trading, slaughtering, and smuggling animals and animal products into and out of the locality.

- Manage households that do business and slaughter in the area, commit not to buy, sell, or transport animals or animal products that have not been quarantined. Instruct breeders to proactively disinfect their barns and breeding areas with chemicals and lime powder.

2. Department of Agriculture and Rural Development:

- Urge localities to urgently and effectively implement measures to prevent and control ASF; proactively and closely monitor the epidemic situation, ensure early detection, warning and timely and thorough direction of outbreaks, and prevent widespread spread of the disease. Coordinate with functional forces and local authorities to resolutely prevent and strictly handle cases of illegal transportation of pigs of unknown origin into the province.

- Coordinate with the Provincial Radio and Television Station, Quang Tri Newspaper and mass media to propagate the dangers of ASF, its spread and prevention measures; and risks of occurrence so that people know, proactively prevent and use ASF vaccines for pigs according to the instructions of specialized agencies.

- Monitor, synthesize and report to the Provincial People's Committee on difficulties, problems and recommendations during the implementation process for direction.

3. Department of Finance: Take the lead in coordinating with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development based on the epidemic situation; propose the Provincial People's Committee to allocate the provincial reserve budget to promptly prevent and control the epidemic.

4. Departments: Industry and Trade, Transport; Provincial Police, Provincial Border Guard Command, Customs Department, Provincial Market Management Department : Based on their functions and tasks, coordinate and support veterinary forces to strengthen control, detect, promptly prevent and strictly handle cases of trading and transporting sick pigs and pig products of unknown origin and not yet quarantined in the market.

Especially at border gates, trails, and openings in border areas to promptly prevent, detect, and strictly handle cases of illegal trading, transportation, and slaughter of animals and animal products across the border into Vietnam.

5. Department of Information and Communications : Direct media agencies to step up propaganda on measures to prevent and control ASF so that people do not panic; proactively apply disease prevention measures according to instructions from specialized agencies; promptly report when detecting pigs showing signs of illness, suspected illness, or pigs dying of unknown causes.

At the same time, strengthen propaganda and mobilization work to encourage animal breeders, traders, transporters, and slaughterers to fully understand the level of danger and the risks of outbreaks and spread of ASF, especially when participating in buying, selling, transporting, and slaughtering pigs and pig products, they must clearly know the origin.

6. Propose the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, Farmers' Association, Women's Union, Veterans' Association, Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union:

Strengthen information and propaganda work widely in many forms and contents suitable for each subject about the risks, harms of the epidemic and measures to prevent and control the epidemic so that people actively respond and participate, not allowing the epidemic to arise and spread widely.

Requesting directors of departments, heads of relevant departments, branches and units, Chairmen of People's Committees of districts, towns and cities to urgently and seriously implement this directive.