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Ambassador Cason presents pilot program to strengthen veterinary infrastructure and the eradication of foot and mouth disease in Paraguay 09/24/07 On Monday, September 24, at 11 am, the Ambassador of the United States James C. Cason participated in the public presentation of the first veterinary infrastructure strengthening project in Paraguay financed directly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the National Service for Animal Control and health

(SENACSA, according to its Spanish initials) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). 

The event took place at SENACSA in the city of San Lorenzo. Participants included Mr. Hugo Corrales, Executive Director of SENACSA, directors and technicians and representatives of IICA.

This is a pilot program with a total cost of $315.000 American dollars which, through the institutional and technical strengthening of SENACSA, will provide the necessary veterinary infrastructure for the eradication of foot and mouth disease in the region of the Chaco. The objective of this project is to strengthen the local veterinary infrastructure, providing more capacity to manage foot and mouth disease eradication programs.

The recent signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between these institutions marked the beginning of the program.  IICA will be in charge of the technical training of personnel and the management of funds.  

This contribution of $315.000 American dollars represents 20% of the total investment the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is investing in South America in 2007 for the eradication of foot and mouth disease. A fifth of the total funds provided by APHIS are being invested in Paraguay this year.