Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is economically devastating for commercial and backyard producers alike, especially in developing countries where poultry is often a mainstay of poor households. If the virus became pandemic in the human population, it would be catastrophic in more than economic terms—and across more than just the developing world. To ensure that HPAI does not evolve into a human health crisis, USAID’s STOP AI project will provide technical resources and support services in preparedness planning, surveillance, and prevention; outbreak response; and re-infection prevention and recovery.

STOP AI has three critically important and interrelated objectives:

Improved global availability of technical experts who are appropriately qualified and trained in internationally accepted procedures for addressing HPAI outbreaks in animals;

Increased use of internationally accepted practices for animal and human disease control; and

Reliable and timely logistical support provided to facilitate and enhance international assistance to countries affected by the H5N1 virus.

STOP AI is an emergency preparation, response, and recovery project, supported by DAI’s proven corporate capabilities in mobilizing and deploying teams worldwide and facilitated by robust information and communication, knowledge management, and geographic information systems.

Working with U.S. Government agencies, national governments, international and nongovernmental organizations, and a roster of deployable veterinarians and other health experts, the project will detect, respond to, and contain HPAI outbreaks.

While focused on animal health threats and responses, STOP AI will also address the human health aspects of HPAI, such as human exposure during poultry production and human welfare in outbreak situations. In short, STOP AI is a key mechanism for ensuring that the highly pathogenic bird flu virus—especially H5N1—does not evolve into a virulent strain transmissible among humans.

In implementing STOP AI, DAI’s Avian Influenza practice and its subcontractors—Bird Flu Control GmbH; Macfadden & Associates, Inc.; Management Sciences for Health, Inc.; Michigan State University; QED Group, LLC; Training Resources Group, Inc.; UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine; and Winrock International—will draw on their worldwide network of epidemiologists, veterinary virologists, public health experts, communication strategists, laboratory diagnosticians, trainers, emergency responders, poultry specialists, and food safety experts.


Recent Activity

STOP AI Project launches pilot series of courses to build capacity among animal and human health experts to support Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza preparedness and response in poultry populations worldwide.