STATE OF EMERGENCY
OFFICE OF THE CONTROLLER

 MEDIA STATEMENT                                             Thursday 02 April 2020

NAQIA team to address African Swine Fever in Southern Highlands Province

NATIONAL Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority (NAQIA) officers will be travelling to Mendi to address the recent outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Mendi, Southern Highlands Province and other gazetted neighboring provinces. The NAQIA team has formally requested an approval for a charter from Port Moresby to Mt Hagen from the Controller of the State of Emergency and Commissioner of Police David Manning.

The NAQIA officers will be deployed to contain the spread of ASF out from the epicenter in Mendi, Menihu District and to extend to other disease reported areas. Locals from the epicenter reported to NAQIA that more than 300 pigs in the province have died in recent months and have possibilities of spreading to other parts of the Highlands regions especially Enga, Hela, Western Highlands, Chimbu, and Eastern Highlands Provinces.

According to reports from NAQIA, pigs affected by the ASF collapsed and died with blood coming out of their mouths and noses. The Controller of the State of Emergency Mr Manning has recommended the NAQIA team to attend to this threat which could have a negative social impact on the people of Highlands regions and PNG as well.

“I am aware that this has the potential of creating a lot of issues for people in the highlands where pigs play a significant role in the society and is of great value and importance to the people. The team from NAQIA is being sent to ensure that the problem is contained,” Mr Manning said.

Mr David Manning, MBE, DPS, QPM
Commissioner of Police &
Controller of State of Emergency

For media contact: Chief Superintendent Dominic D. Kakas, BEM, DPS
Team Leader – COVID-19 Media & Public Information
Mobile: 75430557 Email: ddkakas@gmail.com