The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) places high importance on research, particularly in areas of operational research, for prevention and control of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).

Operational research is one important tool to measure the effectiveness and identify improvement and alternative mechanisms for implementation of activities and measures that would lead to cost effective prevention and control of HPAI.

With this in perspective, the FAO is engaged in a number of research activities ranging from technical aspects of the virus to socio-economic consequences resulted from the spread of the virus. The researches in Viet Nam are done in cooperation with national and international partners, and the private sector which include the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Wildlife Conservation Society, and others.

One key area of research recently launched in Viet Nam, with funding from donors, is the virus challenge trial, which is carried out to look into the effectiveness and the level of protection the available H5N1 vaccines for poultry is, towards the currently circulating virus in the country.

One major challenge identified in this area is the level of immunity the available vaccines can have on the duck population.

Another area of research being conducted is to look into the possibility of introducing a restructure into the poultry production, trade and consumption mechanism.  This study is aimed at identifying the feasibility and cost effectiveness of implementing measures that would lead to traceability of the origin of poultry products from the hatchery level right up to the market consumption level.  Under this study, consumers are encouraged to consume poultry from reliable and identifiable sources.  This study is being carried out in coordination with international partners of FAO’s Pro Poor Livestock Policy Initiative which include Royal Veterinary College, London and University of California, Berkeley.

FAO is also involved in looking into the feasibility, and cost-benefit for implementation of biosecurity at farm level in semi-industrial farms.