FAO leads animal disease outbreak simulation in Trinidad and Tobago

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) and the Tobago House of Assembly Division of Food Security (DFS), successfully concluded a week-long simulation to test and strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to animal health emergencies.

The simulation was held from July 27-29 in Trinidad and July 30-31 in Tobago and conducted by a team of experts in animal health, epidemiology, laboratory diagnostics and communications from the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, as part of the broader Animal Disease Outbreak Response in Trinidad and Tobago project. This project is a collaborative engagement between FAO and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago aimed at enhancing coordination and emergency response capabilities across multiple sectors, including preparedness and response training capacity for animal disease emergencies, contingency plans and simulations exercises, improve laboratory capacities and risk communications.

The simulation was implemented using a One Health approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of animal health, public health, environmental management, and food systems in preventing and responding to disease outbreaks. The simulation exercises underscored the need for intersectional cooperation to manage and mitigate animal disease outbreaks, with cross-cutting participation from agencies within MAF and DFS, and other aligned partners. 

As part of the activities, veterinary professionals, technicians, laboratory personnel, emergency management agencies, public health officials, law enforcement, communications specialists and senior decision-makers, faced scenarios relating to a hypothetical outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) designed to test national systems through a series of practical and strategic activities. These included field simulation and laboratory drills exercises, specialized risk communication and public engagement strategy training, and a national tabletop exercise during which participants responded to evolving outbreak scenarios, assessed policy decisions, coordinated resource mobilization and evaluated national response capabilities under simulated emergency conditions. The exercise evaluation and observer team included representatives from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), and the UWI Veterinary School, who served as independent evaluators and observers and provided recommendations to strengthen national preparedness and response systems.

Senator the Honourable Ravi Ratiram, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, underscored the importance of investing in preparedness before a disease emergency occurs.

“Preparedness is not built during a crisis; it is built long before one emerges. Exercises such as these enable us to validate our systems, strengthen institutional coordination, identify operational gaps and ensure that Trinidad and Tobago remains equipped to respond swiftly, decisively and collaboratively to emerging animal health threats. Through continued investment in resilient veterinary services, strong partnerships and evidence-based planning, we are safeguarding our livestock sector, protecting rural livelihoods, strengthening food security and contributing to national resilience."

Diseases such as HPAI transcend institutional boundaries, he added, and require a coordinated national response that integrates animal health, public health, environmental management, emergency services and strategic communications.

Dr Gillian Smith, FAO representative for Trinidad and Tobago (ad interim) shared the Minister’s sentiments, as she emphasised the importance of investing in preparedness today to reduce risks tomorrow. “Animal disease outbreaks can have significant impacts on livelihoods, food security, public health, and trade. We are mindful that the success or failure of crisis management and mitigation responses affects the livelihoods of farmers in a very direct way. The lessons and recommendations emerging from this exercise will contribute to stronger national resilience and more effective emergency response mechanisms.”

The simulation exercise reflects FAO's continued technical support to Trinidad and Tobago in enhancing veterinary services, strengthening emergency preparedness and promoting resilient animal health systems that align with international standards and global best practices.

The success of this simulation highlights the strong collaborative environment, and the willingness among all participants to strengthen the country’s preparedness and responsiveness to potential animal health emergencies.