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Welcome to the COSALFA 42

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The 42^st Ordinary Meeting of the South American Commission for the Fight Against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (COSALFA) will be held on April 16-17, 2015 in Quito, Ecuador, at the Hotel Swissôtel.

The American Continent is celebrating three years without outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease. Achieving this has not been an easy task; it has cost great efforts on the part of the countries of the Region, which have persevered in strengthening their surveillance, eradication, and prevention policies.

Against this background, COSALFA 42, in compliance with its mandate, will review the current situation in light of the challenges envisaged by the 2011-2020 Action Plan of the Hemispheric Program for the Eradication of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (PHEFA) in each country and in the Region. Particular attention will be given to the status of the countries’ prevention strategies and contingency plans, as well as to their progress toward the participative establishment of the regional antigens/vaccines bank, to ensure the sustainable maintenance of the foot-and-mouth disease free status of their populations of animals susceptible to the disease on the American continent.

Prior to the COSALFA 42 meeting, on April 13-14, 2015, on the same venue will be held the International Seminar on “Consolidating the Foot-and-Mouth Disease free status of the Region of South American: Prevention, Surveillance and Contingency Plans.” At that time, papers on the theme may be presented in Poster form, in accordance with the criteria for entering papers.

COSALFA 42 is being convened by the Pan-American Center for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (PANAFTOSA) of the Pan-American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), with the support of the Ecuadorian Agency for the  Quality Assurance of Agriculture (AGROCALIDAD) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Aquiculture, and Fisheries (MAGAP) of the Government of the Republic of Ecuador.

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