Combating African swine fever through community engagement and strategic communication

AFRICAN swine fever (ASF) continues to ravage wild and farmed pig populations across Asia and the Pacific. In the ongoing battle against this disease, the focus has increasingly turned toward innovative strategies like risk communication and community engagement, or RCCE. This approach, spotlighted during the ninth meeting of the Standing Group of Experts on ASF in Asia and the Pacific recently organized in Manila by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Organization for Animal Health, and the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry, marks a significant shift from traditional technical strategies toward integrating social and behavioral factors in disease management.

ASF presents major challenges: it is a highly contagious viral disease with a fatality rate close to 100 percent. There is no cure as of today, so traditional control measures, such as culling infected and susceptible animals, enforcing stringent biosecurity protocols, and restricting the movement of pigs and pork products, have been the main control methods used so far. Vaccines are promising, but they are not a panacea. Yet, the economic repercussions of ASF are severe, with livelihoods, trade and food supply chains deeply disrupted. The persistent nature of the virus in the environment and processed products also complicates eradication efforts. Thus, addressing ASF needs more than just technical solutions: it demands an integrated and holistic approach.