What was the Government's strategy for responding to the H5N1 strain of HPAI (High pathogenicity avian influenza) prior to the 2025 publication of the document titled 'One Health approach for HPAI H5N1'?

Answer

Prior to the publication of the document One Health approach for HPAI H5N1, the Government’s strategy was to prepare for the arrival of H5 bird flu through coordinated planning across relevant agencies, industry, and stakeholders, with a focus on minimising impacts on wildlife, poultry, and human health, and ensuring New Zealand is prepared and able to respond to an outbreak. This approach reflected experience from overseas, which indicated that an attempt to eradicate H5 bird flu would be highly unlikely to succeed, but that early detection and strong farm-level biosecurity can help to limit the impact of the disease, should it get here. The readiness and response planning has extended over many years with the aim of reducing the impact on native species; reduce the impact on the commercial poultry sector; maintaining supply of poultry meat and eggs to the domestic market and maintaining access to overseas markets where possible; and protecting human health. The strategy also included monitoring international outbreaks and learning from the approaches taken by other countries to manage the disease, with plans adapted as new information and experience became available.