Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In an effort to enhance resilience against zoonotic diseases and improve the veterinary system in Uzbekistan, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Committee for Veterinary and Livestock Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan, is implementing a large-scale training program under the project “Pandemic Preparedness and Response through a One Health Approach in Central Asia.”

A series of training sessions is being held across Karakalpakstan and various regions of the country for district-level epizootologists. At the core of the program is the adoption of the “7-1-7” tool, designed for early detection and rapid response to zoonotic disease outbreaks. The method involves:

Detecting a case within 7 days

Reporting it within 1 day

Initiating a response within the next 7 days

The program aims to train over 300 specialists nationwide. To date, more than 250 epizootologists have already completed the training, gaining practical skills to strengthen disease surveillance.

These trainings are enhancing the capacity of Uzbekistan’s veterinary services, improving interagency coordination, and promoting the adoption of international standards for the control of animal diseases, including brucellosis, rabies, and foot-and-mouth disease. This effort is also paving the way for Uzbekistan to gain international recognition as a country free from several high-risk diseases, thereby boosting its export potential.

The initiative is being implemented within the “One Health” framework — a holistic approach that views human, animal, and environmental health as interconnected elements of a unified system.