The Global Framework – Transboundary Animal Diseases (GF-TADs) is an initiative led by WOAH and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to prevent, detect and control animal diseases that cross borders and threaten food security, livelihoods and local economies.
The programme supports the development of activities at regional level that are tailored to local needs in terms of priority diseases. In this context, a Regional Steering Committee was established in the Americas in 2005.
The 18th meeting of this committee was held on 10 October virtually with the participation of representatives from international and regional organisations, as well as from the private sector, members of the GF-TADs.
During the meeting, elections were held for the Presidency and the two Vice-Presidencies of the Regional Steering Committee. Dr Koren Custer was elected as President and the representatives of the International Regional Organisation for Plant and Animal Health (OIRSA) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) as Vice-Presidents.
Koren Custer is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and holds master’s in public health from the University of Georgia. Immediately after graduation, she served as the Assistant State Veterinarian at the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. After that, she joined the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services (USDA APHIS VS). She has served in several roles in her ten years with USDA APHIS VS, including her current position as the Associate Deputy Administrator in Veterinary Services’ Strategy & Policy unit. She also served as the first National Incident Coordinator for the 2022-2024 United States’ response to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, leading the federal animal health response for the first eight months of the outbreak.
I am thrilled to be serving in this new role for the GF-TADs Regional Steering Committee for the Americas. During our last meeting, we discussed exciting ways that we can expand this group’s efforts and enhance communications and collaboration amongst our countries and partner organizations. I am committed to advancing this vision of greater communication and collaboration and bringing our teams together to better support each other and our important mission. I am looking forward to continuing to grow our framework together.
The meeting was also an opportunity for the members of the committee to share their updates on the actions they are taking on the priority transboundary animal diseases for the region (highly pathogenic avian influenza, African swine fever, classical swine fever, new world screwworm and foot and mouth disease). Finally, it was announced that Dr Custer, in her role as the new chair of GF-TADs, will participate in the 27th Regional Conference to be held on 25-29 November in Quito, Ecuador, in order to discuss the main challenges of the Americas with member countries.
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