Indonesia seeks WOAH recognition on FMD-free zones without vaccination

 The Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture said it is seeking the country's official recognition from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) for zones free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) without vaccination.

Director General of Livestock and Animal Health at the ministry Agung Suganda noted here on Tuesday that the recognition is part of Indonesia's national strategy to control the livestock disease.

He noted that the document containing information and data regarding the FMD-free status was sent to WOAH on August 13, including surveillance data from nine provinces that are currently free from the disease attacking cloven-hoofed animals.

The provinces proposed to be recognized as zones free of FMD without vaccination comprise six provinces in Papua, Maluku, North Maluku, and East Nusa Tenggara. Those provinces are categorized as green zones on the national FMD control map.

"So far, we still have nine provinces that are free from FMD without vaccination, and we will continue to maintain this status," Suganda remarked.

In addition to the green zones, there are also red zones, covering Lampung, Java, Bali, and West Nusa Tenggara, and yellow zones, which include Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Kalimantan.

The Indonesian government is hoping that the WOAH recognition can be achieved this year as a form of appreciation for its hard work in controlling FMD.

In addition to getting international recognition, the government also continues its FMD vaccination program, which is carried out in two periods in one year.

The first period of vaccination from January to March 2025 has been able to control FMD cases, especially during the high traffic of livestock for Eid al-Adha animal sacrifice.

Currently, the second period is ongoing from June to September.

He explained that this vaccination is aimed at preventing the emergence of FMD cases during the livestock mobilization that typically happens in November and December in preparation for the following year's Eid al-Adha.