Workshops/Meetings : Animal Health and Welfare

The Seminar was attended by approximately 110 participants from 24 OIE Members, including observers from the host country (PR China) and international/regional organisations.

The purpose of the Seminar was to improve awareness of all Members from the Region on the OIE Global Programme on Strengthening Veterinary Services, including such activities as Evaluation of Performance of Veterinary Services using the OIE PVS tool as well as complementary steps, such as the PVS Gap Analysis and a Follow-up Mission.

Dr Bernard Vallat, OIE Director General, Dr Carlos Correa, President of the OIE World Assembly, Dr Zhang Zhongqiu, Delegate of PR China and Dr Toshiro Kawashima, President of the OIE Regional Commission for Asia, the Far East and Oceania delivered opening remarks.

After the opening remarks, Dr Teruhide Fujita, OIE Asia-Pacific, introduced the background of the Seminar, followed by the announcement of Dr Itsuo Shimohira, OIE Asia-Pacific, on the nominated Chairs and Rapporteurs for each session.

The plenary session was chaired jointly by Dr B. Vallat, Dr Gaston Funes, Dr T. Fujita and Dr Gardner Murray, with Rapporteurs:  Dr G. Funes, Dr I. Shimohira, Dr Mara Gonzalez and Dr Ronello Abila, respectively.

Dr B. Vallat, presented the OIE Policies on Good Governance to ensure Animal and Human Health, and Dr G. Funes discussed the OIE International Standards, Legislation and Quality of Veterinary Services.

Dr M. Gonzalez spoke about the OIE Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) and Dr Ronello Abila about Experience in and Lessons learned by PVS.

Dr G. Murray explained the activities and networks of OIE Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres including the Twinning Programme, and Dr Z. Zhang also presented on activities for Good Governance of Veterinary Services in PR China.
                    
After those presentations, the Seminar discussed how important the function of Veterinary Services is and how to improve the good governance of Veterinary Services in the Region.

Conclusions and Recommendations:  

Considering

• The necessity of improvement of animal health for sustainable agriculture/livestock development, animal welfare, food security, food safety as well as reduction of human and animal health risks and poverty,
• The New risks to the agricultural sector and public health linked with unprecedented cases of animal diseases (including zoonoses) such as HPAI, CSF, Rabies, FMD due to globalization of pathogens and climate change, causing huge socio-economic impacts,
• The Provision from OIE to policy makers, at national, regional and global levels, with the right information, arguments and tools for improvement of national systems for animal health,
• The necessity of implementation of appropriate Animal disease control policies and measures, by Veterinary Services in compliance with OIE Standards and guidelines for animal health,
• The necessity of Good governance of Veterinary Services (both their public and private sector components) with efficient policies and appropriate human and financial resources for improvement of animal health including zoonotic diseases,
• The necessity of evaluation of National Veterinary Services’ compliance with OIE standards on quality for further strengthening activities of animal health and for the political, social and economic benefits to be gained by investing more, by using the OIE PVS tool, PVS Gap Analysis and other mechanisms provided by the OIE on a voluntary basis such as the laboratory twinning and the legislation programmes,
• The provision of Laboratory support by OIE including Networking of Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centers as well as the Twinning Programme between OIE existing references laboratories and national ones in order to strengthen national laboratory diagnosis and surveillance capacities and reinforce veterinary scientific community in developing countries,

The Seminar recommends that:

• The OIE Members review and update, when necessary, all relevant animal health legislations in harmony with the OIE international standards and guidelines, for which OIE may be requested to support their efforts, as appropriate, and taking into account the outcomes of the Global Conference on Veterinary Legislation which will be held in Tunisia in December 2010.
• The Veterinary Services of the Members in the Region of Asia and the Pacific be encouraged to strengthen their activities for animal health and welfare and veterinary public health by mobilizing human and financial resources for priority areas including training programmes, after an evaluation made, using the OIE-PVS tool, to identify gaps and weaknesses related to international standards and followed by the PVS Gap Analysis process.
• OIE sensitize Policy makers of OIE Members on the importance of Veterinary Services as a Public Good and their specific leading roles on tackling pathogens at their animal source, and the need for coordination and collaboration activities with medical and other sectors, including activities related to the control of animal diseases including zoonoses.
• OIE Members be encouraged to identify laboratories for nomination to be engaged in the OIE Twinning programme arrangement in order to strengthen their veterinary scientific community and to contribute to animal health and veterinary public health improvement in the Region.
• The disease surveillance by National Veterinary Services be approached in an holistic way, taking into account the global changes surrounding animal health as well as OIE Standards and Guidelines and providing an appropriate coverage of national territory and all sectors of the animal population.
• The OIE Members upgrade and strengthen, as necessary, the system of border Veterinary Services inspection in terms of importation, exportation and transit of animals and animal products.
• The OIE Members nominate their OIE National focal points (currently, Disease Information, Animal Production Food Safety, Aquatic Animals, Wildlife, Veterinary Drugs and Animal Welfare) and notify their nominations to OIE Headquarters and to the Regional Representation for benefiting of specific capacity building programs.