The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) has officially included Taiwan in the list of countries that have declared themselves free from African swine fever. President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Tsai Ing-wen expressed her gratitude on Facebook, saying “Successfully protecting Taiwan’s pigs!” She thanked all pig farmers and the government for their collective efforts in promoting the sustainable development of Taiwan’s livestock industry.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of China on November 1, Taiwan submitted detailed self-declaration information to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) in July, demonstrating that Taiwan meets the standards of a non-epidemic country for African swine fever. After review and supplementary information provided by Taiwan, WOAH finally recognized Taiwan’s status.
“Successfully protecting Taiwan’s pigs!” President Tsai Ing-wen reiterated on Facebook on November 1, stating that Taiwan has officially been listed as a “non-epidemic country for African swine fever” by WOAH! She mentioned that since 2018, many countries worldwide have experienced outbreaks of African swine fever, and Taiwan has consistently prevented outbreaks within its borders and has been recognized along with Japan as a non-epidemic country for African swine fever in East Asia.
“This July, we submitted detailed self-declaration information to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). Yesterday, WOAH officially included Taiwan in the list of countries that have declared themselves free from African swine fever, formally recognized as a non-epidemic country for African swine fever,” said Tsai Ing-wen.
Tsai Ing-wen pointed out that following the recognition of Taiwan as a non-epidemic area for foot-and-mouth disease and sheep pox, our epidemic prevention achievements have once again received international recognition. She expressed deep appreciation for the joint efforts of all pig farmers and the government in achieving this landmark achievement, which will promote the sustainable development of Taiwan’s livestock industry.
Tsai Ing-wen mentioned that Taiwan was once one of the world’s largest exporters of pork, but in 1997, the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease severely affected the pork industry in Taiwan. In 2018, during her tenure as the Premier, Tsai initiated the eradication of foot-and-mouth disease by ceasing vaccination and achieved a year without any outbreaks, marking a successful eradication effort.