Following the outbreak of the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza H5NB virus in Southern Africa, Zimbabwe and South Africa, SADC Secretariat, in collaboration with the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation, FAO, organised a regional technical meeting to assess the preparedness, response capacities and actions of member states to the recent outbreaks of HPAI in the sub-region. For more on this, Wandile Kallipa spoke to Doctor Patrick Otto, FAO sub-regional Livestock officer for Southern Africa..