ASEF Public Health Network is organising the 3rd Strategy Development Workshop on Pandemic Preparedness and Response in Vientiane, Lao PDR (22-23 October 2012). This upcoming workshop will focus on Food Supply Security.
A panel of experts from the food industry, government institutions, international organisations as well as civil society organisations, will participate in this workshop. Through different sessions, they will develop a set of recommendations. These recommendations will highlight essential factors for improving the food sector’s current pandemic preparedness and response strategies.
The functioning of different stakeholders in the food sector is highly dependent on each other. If one stakeholder is hit, the entire chain can be disrupted. This makes the food sector extremely vulnerable to pandemics or any health emergencies. Additional challenges can emerge when government regulations, for example border closings, are implemented to mitigate the impact of such emergencies.
Under such stringent situations, smooth functioning of the food sector can only be maintained through a long-term multi-sectoral cooperation. Such collaborative approach includes public-private partnerships, and involvement of international organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
During the workshop in Lao PDR, ASEF Public Health Network will address all aforementioned issues using ASEF-ASAP (Accurate Scenarios Active Preparedness) scenarios. ASEF-ASAP is a unique scenario-based approach that covers a range of possibilities to prepare for future pandemics and public health emergencies in Asia and Europe.
Read more about previous workshops:
Multiple sectors centred on human security including health, energy, water and food