Tukana Andrew, Hedlefs Robert, Gummow Bruce
Discipline of Veterinary Science, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.
Animal Health and Production Thematic Team, Land Resources Division, The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), 3 Luke Street, Nabua, Suva, Fiji Islands.
Trop Anim Health Prod. 2018 Oct;50(7):1547-1558. doi: 10.1007/s11250-018-1594-7. Epub 2018 Apr 20.
A semi-systematic literature review of national policies was carried out in relation to surveillance and disease reporting in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). It also analysed the animal disease reporting structures in Fiji, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of those reporting structures were examined in relation to how they impacted the detection and management of animal diseases in PICTs. Field missions collected information on animal disease reporting structures and these were discussed in detail with country officials and documented. The findings from the literature review indicated that there is very little policy to support work in surveillance and disease reporting within national government structures of the countries studied. This increases the potential for disease transmission and the introduction of exotic diseases as the efficiency of disease reporting is low. The findings from the SWOT analysis of the reporting structures indicated that there were commonalities across the countries studied, i.e. reporting structures were long with multiple legs that were not functioning properly and this was worsened when positions were vacant in the reporting structure. The hierarchical nature of the reporting structure also reduced reporting efficiency as reports took a longer time to reach decision makers at the top of the structure. High officer turnover and the shortage of veterinarians in the countries studied also affected the efficiency of disease reporting as most in-county officials were inexperienced and could not recognise disease signs and there were no veterinarians to supervise them. Existing reporting structures need to be reviewed to remove duplication and shorten the chain. However, this could override existing command structures and would need to be documented and awareness created with the officers involved. There also needs to be more collaboration with FAO, OIE, academic institutions and national governments to create an environment conducive for the development of policies that support work on surveillance to improve disease reporting in PICTs. The shortage of veterinarians could be addressed by influencing national governments to create better policies to retain veterinarians in the animal health services; this should be supported by creating reasonable work conditions and remuneration packages. This should also be supported with policies to send young graduates to study veterinary science overseas and have a career path for them when they return. Engagement of retired veterinarians from developed countries and re-evaluating the criteria for veterinarian registration could be short-term solutions to address the shortage of veterinarians in PICTs.
针对太平洋岛国和领土（PICTs）的监测与疾病报告相关国家政策开展了一项半系统性文献综述。该综述还分析了斐济、巴布亚新几内亚（PNG）、瓦努阿图和所罗门群岛的动物疾病报告结构。研究了这些报告结构的优势、劣势、机遇和威胁（SWOT），以及它们如何影响PICTs中动物疾病的检测和管理。实地考察收集了有关动物疾病报告结构的信息，并与各国官员进行了详细讨论并记录在案。文献综述的结果表明，在所研究国家的国家政府机构中，几乎没有政策支持监测和疾病报告工作。由于疾病报告效率低下，这增加了疾病传播和外来疾病传入的可能性。对报告结构的SWOT分析结果表明，在所研究的国家中存在一些共性，即报告结构冗长且多条线路运行不畅，当报告结构中的职位空缺时情况会更糟。报告结构的层级性质也降低了报告效率，因为报告到达结构顶端的决策者需要更长时间。在所研究的国家中，高级官员更替频繁以及兽医短缺也影响了疾病报告的效率，因为大多数县内官员缺乏经验，无法识别疾病症状，也没有兽医对他们进行监督。需要对现有的报告结构进行审查，以消除重复并缩短链条。然而，这可能会推翻现有的指挥结构，需要记录在案并让相关官员了解情况。还需要与粮农组织、世界动物卫生组织、学术机构和各国政府加强合作，营造有利于制定支持监测工作以改善PICTs疾病报告的政策的环境。可以通过影响各国政府制定更好的政策，以留住动物卫生服务领域的兽医来解决兽医短缺问题；这应该通过创造合理的工作条件和薪酬待遇来支持。还应该出台政策，派遣年轻毕业生到海外学习兽医学，并为他们回国后提供职业发展道路。聘请发达国家的退休兽医以及重新评估兽医注册标准可能是解决PICTs兽医短缺问题的短期解决方案。
