Advancing Good Veterinary Governance in South East Asia through the OIE Performance of Veterinary Services Pathway

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1 Advancing Good Veterinary Governance in South East Asia through the OIE Performance of Veterinary Services Pathway November 2017 Good veterinary governance leads to effective, efficient, sustainable, and equitable delivery of veterinary services. National animal health systems that comply with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) international standards and function under good governance principles are better able to plan, prevent, detect and respond to transboundary animal disease or zoonotic disease outbreaks that impact on food security and public health The purpose of the Stop Transboundary Animal Diseases and Zoonoses (STANDZ) Initiative was to improve the performance of Veterinary Services of countries by strengthening animal health systems in the prevention and control of transboundary animal and emerging infectious diseases. Promoting good veterinary governance and countries adherence to international standards were underlying objectives of STANDZ. Good veterinary governance translates into high quality Veterinary Services. When good veterinary governance principles are practiced, both the public and private sector components of the Veterinary Services are able to work together and fully function in their roles in animal disease control, supported by a national legislative framework that is enforced with appropriate human and financial resources. The OIE PVS Pathway The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) Pathway is a global programme that provides countries with a comprehensive and staged approach in the systematic strengthening of their Veterinary Services based on international standards. Countries participation in the OIE PVS Pathway is voluntary and involves OIE certified PVS experts carrying out independent in-country external evaluations. PVS Pathway missions seek to identify key actions and investments needed to improve national animal health systems compliance with the intergovernmental standards on the quality of Veterinary Services governance, adopted and issued by the OIE. The OIE PVS Pathway involves several components: Initial PVS Evaluation: systematic evaluation of national Veterinary Services against international standards based on 47 Critical Competencies and 5 levels of compliance granted according to the quality for each competency; PVS Gap Analysis: enables the prioritisation of action and development of a 5-year costed investment plan based on PVS Evaluation findings and national priorities; PVS Veterinary Legislation Support Program: assistance in developing and/or modernising national veterinary legislation in compliance with OIE standards; PVS Pathway Laboratory Mission and Laboratory Twinning Programme: missions to review, improve and budget relevant costs to sustain national veterinary laboratory networks and support the pairing of laboratories for capacity building which may target accreditation as OIE Reference Laboratories; Veterinary Education Twinning Programme: pairing and strengthening Veterinary Educational Establishments (VEEs) and aligning their learning outcomes and curricula with corresponding OIE guidelines and recommendations; The Stop Transboundary Animal Diseases and Zoonoses (STANDZ) Initiative was a AUD million regional programme implemented by the OIE from 2011 to 2017 with funding from the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

2 Veterinary Statutory Body (VSB) Twinning Programme: ensuring the excellence of the veterinary profession in the public and private sector by establishing measures regarding quality of professional education, licensing, and conduct of veterinarians; and PVS Evaluation Follow-up Missions: a consistent mechanism for the monitoring and evaluation of progress of all PVS Pathway components. Priority areas were identified during the STANDZ design after partner s analysis of countries critical needs based on PVS Evaluation reports. Through the Small Grant facility (SGF), STANDZ in-country technical assistance was provided to areas and countries where investment could generate the greatest sustainable impact, with the goal of establishing well-functioning animal health systems to sustain effective animal disease control in the region. The STANDZ Initiative (2011 to 2017) The Programme Strengthening Initiatives for Veterinary Services (STRIVES), a key component under STANDZ, aimed to enhance the Veterinary Services capacity of South East Asian countries through the use of the OIE PVS Pathway. In addition to supporting countries participation in various OIE PVS Pathway components, STRIVES assisted countries in progressing key recommendations from their respective PVS Evaluation and PVS Gap Analysis reports. This ensured that country-led actions adhered to OIE international standards and guidelines. STRIVES prioritised demand-driven technical assistance to countries in: - developing their respective costed National Veterinary Services Strategic Plans; - strengthening veterinary education and human resources; - modernising veterinary legislation; - establishing Veterinary Statutory Bodies to align accreditation procedures with the OIE critical competencies; and - fostering greater public-private partnerships in Veterinary Services. The STANDZ Small Grants Facility was instrumental in supporting Vietnam s Department of Animal Health s initiative to establish a VSB in the country. Activities supported by STANDZ included: a study tour to learn about the Malaysian Veterinary Council model and its legislation; consultation meetings with stakeholders in formulating a VSB model in Vietnam; and incorporating provisions on VSB establishment in the drafting of the new veterinary legislation. Following the revised veterinary legislation, Vietnam created Animal Health Councils at the central and provincial levels to advise the Minister and the Directors of the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, respectively, on animal health-related issues. Key Outcomes The STRIVES component of STANDZ was implemented from 2011 to The programme contributed to the strengthening of the targeted countries veterinary governance in five relevant areas, namely: (i) legislation; (ii) financial resources; (iii) veterinary human resources and professional regulatory capacity; (iv) public-private partnerships; and (v) advocacy. Legislation Veterinary legislation is a cornerstone of good veterinary governance as it enables a country s Veterinary Services to carry out their functions in line with OIE standards. The activities planned under the STRIVES Programme contributed to establish and modernise veterinary legislation in the region, including facilitating countries development of national strategic frameworks on Veterinary Services. The outcomes achieved in this area include the following: Cambodia. OIE PVS Legislation Identification Missions spurred Cambodia to draft its first law on animal health and production, with STANDZ technical assistance, which took effect in The OIE also

3 supported Lao PDR and Vietnam in the revision of their animal health legislation. Vietnam. The country s revised animal health law took effect in As a result of STANDZ guidance, Vietnam created Animal Health Councils at the central and provincial levels to advise the Minister and the Directors of the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, respectively. Indonesia. The country used the recommendations from its PVS Evaluation and PVS Gap Analysis to develop its National Veterinary Strategic Plan ( ) and revise its Livestock Production and Animal Health Law in This included revisions on: animal disease control and eradication programmes; list of priority animal diseases; agricultural quarantine; entry and exit points of animal quarantine; and organisation and structure of local government and veterinary authorities. Myanmar. Similarly, Myanmar has developed its National Veterinary Strategic Plan until 2020, while currently amending its Animal Health and Development Law. The Philippines & Lao PDR. With STANDZ technical assistance, the Philippines and Lao PDR developed National Veterinary Services Strategic Plans based on their respective PVS Gap Analysis results. The Philippines plan contributed to new legislation that is currently being considered by the Philippine Congress. This legislation includes a Disease Compensation and Eradication Trust Fund with a proposed budget of USD 5.9 million to support animal disease control and eradication. Financial resources PVS Evaluation and PVS Gap Analysis reports were used by countries as advocacy tools, which led to all six STANDZ targeted countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia) to increase their respective government budget allocation to implement National Veterinary Services Strategic Plans and/or animal disease control programmes. More specifically: Cambodia. The Department of Animal Health and Production (DAHP) used the PVS Gap Analysis reports to advocate for Ministry of Agriculture support to the department s 5-year plan and budget. DAHP saw a six-fold increase in its operational budget in 2015, from USD 500,000 to USD 3 million per annum, representing 80% of the budget recommended in the PVS Gap Analysis report. This enabled DAHP to recruit 170 new veterinarians, increase staff salaries by 20% per annum for a 3-year period ( ), and expand the vaccination coverage of the government s animal disease control programmes. Lao PDR. Responding to the recommendations of PVS Pathway missions, the Department of Livestock and Fisheries provided additional funding of USD 100,000 for emergency preparedness on animal disease outbreaks. The government also recruited additional veterinarians to fill critical quarantine and border security posts. Myanmar. In 2014, the country used the PVS Pathway mission recommendations to secure a fourfold increase in the annual operating budget for the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department (LBVD), from USD 2.7 million in 2009 to USD 11 million in This enabled the recruitment of additional veterinarians leading to a 62% growth in the number of department personnel from 1,846 in 2009 to 2,987 in Additional staff members allowed LBVD to increase their veterinary field coverage at the district level as recommended in PVS Pathway reports. This bolstered district level capacity to implement Myanmar s pandemic influenza preparedness and response plans. Budgetary increases in Myanmar allowed LBVD to build a new BSL-2 diagnostic laboratory to diagnose Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and purchase equipment for residue testing and food safety. These efforts will improve the technical capacity of Myanmar s national laboratory network and its compliance to internationally accepted standards for disease diagnosis and quality assurance Vietnam. Veterinary Services in the country used its PVS Pathway findings and recommendations to develop its 8-year Strategic Plan which was then used by provincial veterinary offices to draft provincial annual plans and budgets. Based on these plans, the Department of Animal Health and its provincial offices were able to secure consecutive annual budgetary increases from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. More specifically, the country invested a total of USD 32 million over a 5-year period (2011 to 2015) to FMD control activities. The Philippines. The use of the National Strategic Plan for Veterinary Services enabled: the hiring of 150 new personnel at the Bureau of Animal Industry assigned to regions across the country; the purchasing of four new vehicles to respond to emergency animal disease outbreaks; and a ten-fold increase in the budget for the country s National Rabies Prevention and Control Programme.

4 Indonesia. The country used its PVS Evaluation and PVS Gap Analysis findings to fund updates its emergency preparedness plan which supports yearly simulation exercises for FMD (created in 2001) and for Rabies (first launched in 2014). Indonesia has been FMD-free since 1990 and has 13 rabies-free areas. Human resources impact the capacities of countries to address all 47 Critical Competencies evaluated under the OIE PVS Evaluation and PVS Gap Analysis Tools. OIE PVS Critical Competencies directly related to veterinary human resources and professional regulatory capacity include: in 2016, provided National Veterinary Services of these three countries with the legal authority to establish a VSB. The Department of Veterinary Services in Malaysia responded to gaps and recommendations from its PVS Evaluation report, including redrafting Malaysia s veterinary legislation to give more autonomy to the VSB and more authority to regulate the veterinary profession. Similarly, the VSB of Myanmar has commenced efforts towards full autonomy as the government has begun easing out of its role in the governance structure of the organisation. Professional and technical staffing of the Veterinary Services; Competencies of veterinarians and veterinary para-professionals; Continuing education; and Veterinary Statutory Body authority and capacity. STANDZ supported an OIE Sub-Regional Workshop for Veterinary Education Establishments (VEE) and VSBs held in 2014 which convinced existing VSBs in ASEAN Member States to consider including the OIE recommendations on Day 1 Competencies as a requirement of veterinary registration/licensing and the OIE guidelines on Veterinary Education Core Curriculum as criteria for VEE accreditation. Veterinary human resources and professional regulatory capacity The quality of veterinary human resources is directly influenced by the quality of veterinary education, both initial and continuing, as well as the presence of an autonomous regulatory body for veterinarians and veterinary para-professionals. STRIVES addressed the risks from the critical shortages of qualified and skilled veterinarians in the region, identified in PVS Evaluations of priority STANDZ countries, as these could undermine the sustainability of animal health systems reforms. STANDZ achievements in this areas are describe here below. Veterinary Statutory Bodies (VSB): According to the OIE, the role of a VSB is to oversee the quality and competence of veterinarians in a country. A competent Veterinary Statutory Body, autonomous from any political or commercial interests, can ensure the excellence of the veterinary profession through appropriately licensing or registering veterinary professionals, and providing minimum standards for (initial and continuing) education and professional conduct. STANDZ provided a legislative basis for the future establishment of VSBs in the region and created a regional network to strengthen VSBs in South East Asia. More specifically: New veterinary laws were developed in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam using cross-country experiences and technical assistance through STANDZ. This new legislation, enacted most recently The OIE SRR-SEA, in partnership with the Federation of Asian Veterinary Associations (FAVA) and Chulalongkorn University, assisted ASEAN Member States in establishing an ASEAN Veterinary Statutory Body (VSB) Network in This network aims to provide a regional platform to promote the development of VSBs in the ASEAN region through enhanced collaboration, harmonisation of VSB standards, and improved cross-country information sharing. Through this network, ASEAN Member States will have access to tools on how VSBs can prepare and address potential Mutual Recognition Arrangements for veterinarians in line with ASEAN Economic Community aspirations. In 2017, Thailand was endorsed as the network s secretariat following its hosting of the group s first formal meeting. Veterinary education: STANDZ helped upgrade veterinary education in the region through the support of capacity development of faculty members of universities in South East Asia, especially those in the Mekong region. This assistance also included developing curriculum in line with the OIE Guidelines on Veterinary Education Core Curriculum and the OIE recommendations on the Competencies of graduating veterinarians (OIE Day 1 Competencies). Specifically, STANDZ contributed to: The adoption of the OIE Guidelines on Veterinary Education Core Curriculum and integration of the OIE Day 1 Competencies into the curricula of all current members of the South East Asia Veterinary School Association (SEAVSA), comprising 27 VEEs from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Notwithstanding,

5 OIE Day 1 Competencies The OIE Day 1 Competencies refer to the OIErecommended minimum competencies needed by graduating veterinarians to be adequately prepared to participate in National Veterinary Services (both public and private sector) at the entry level. The OIE Day 1 Competencies are comprised of 11 Specific Competencies (i.e. epidemiology, transboundary animal diseases, zoonoses, emerging and re-emerging diseases, disease prevention and control programmes, food hygiene, veterinary products, animal welfare, veterinary legislation and ethics, general certification procedures, and communication skills) and 8 Advanced Competencies (i.e. organisation of veterinary services, inspection and certification procedures, management of contagious diseases, food hygiene, application of risk analysis, research, international trade framework, and administration and management). The OIE Guidelines for Veterinary Education Core Curriculum were developed in 2013 to assist VEEs in integrating Day 1 competencies into veterinary curricula. The latter ensures that graduating veterinarians have the required knowledge, skills, attitudes, and aptitudes to understand and be able to perform entry-level national veterinary service tasks related to the promotion of animal and public health. much work is still required as most of these VEEs curricula for undergraduate study only included the Day 1 Specific Competencies and not the Day 1 Advanced Competencies. The development of the first 6-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) courses at Cambodia s Royal University of Agriculture (2014) and the National University of Laos (2015), which are the only universities offering veterinary medicine courses in Cambodia and Lao PDR. Both universities incorporated the OIE Day 1 Competencies in their veterinary curricula. The evolution of the veterinary curriculum at the Yezin Agricultural University in Myanmar, going from a Bachelor s degree to a 5-year DVM programme integrating OIE Day 1 Competencies. In addition, the veterinary curriculum at the country s University of Veterinary Science was changed into a 6-year programme in 2011 to align its curriculum with international standards and with other ASEAN countries. The same university also started offering a 9-month Diploma on Livestock Production and Aquaculture in response to PVS Pathway mission recommendations on increasing the number of paraveterinarians to assist veterinary officers in implementing field level animal health activities. The revision of the DVM curriculum of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of the Philippines Los Banos, in 2013, in order to align it with OIE Day 1 Competencies as a response to the revision of the National Education System. The revised curriculum was approved for implementation in The implementation of a VEE Twinning Project between Nong Lam University in Vietnam, and Queensland University in Australia. The project led to improvements in teaching methodology and in aligning the DVM course curriculum at the Nong Lam University with the OIE Day 1 Competencies and the Veterinary Education Core Curriculum. Starting in 2013, Indonesia responded to PVS Pathway report recommendations by more than doubling the number of its veterinary universities from 5 to 11. These universities have progressively revised their curricula to incorporate the recommended OIE Day 1 Competencies. Public-Private Partnerships STANDZ contributed to the establishment of platforms for public-private partnerships within Veterinary Services that are being replicated by other countries in the region. PVS Pathway report findings noted the lack of public-private partnerships in the Veterinary Services in South East Asia. Given the importance of such partnerships, the OIE brought together veterinarians from the public and private sectors and VEEs through a series of OIE Information Seminars for Practicing Veterinarians, in collaboration with their respective Veterinary Associations, held in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, and Thailand. A Public-Private Partnership in Veterinary Services covers stakeholders along the animal product supply chains and may include public sector veterinarians, private veterinarians and veterinary para-professionals, producers, processors, and distributors. The seminars were often the first opportunities where private sector and national Veterinary Services representatives could openly and informally discuss common issues. Recognising the value of these seminars in fostering personal and professional relationships

6 between public and private veterinarians, Myanmar and Philippine authorities have organised their own follow-up seminars with the guidance of the OIE. For example, the Philippines Veterinary Medical Association and the Bureau of Animal Industry co-organised the Stakeholders Forum on Antimicrobial Resistance and Disease Reporting and Surveillance in September 2015 to strengthen the public-private partnerships in the country related to these issues. Advocacy PVS Pathway reports are being used by countries as the primary basis of enacting their own animal health system reforms and negotiating external donor assistance. With the support of STANDZ, development projects supporting Veterinary Services have become more relevant, effective and sustainable as they are now incorporating countries PVS Gap Analysis reports or National Veterinary Services Strategic Plans to directly address country priorities and identify weaknesses. Examples of these projects include: an Asian Development Bank (ADB) Sanitary and Phytosanitary Project in Cambodia; an EU programme in Cambodia on Inclusive and Sustainable Growth in the Agriculture Sector; an FAO Technical Cooperation Programme to build veterinary faculty staff capacities at the Royal University of Agriculture (RUA) in Cambodia; a World Bank avian influenza project in Cambodia; as well as STANDZ own small grants funding to RUA for the revision of its veterinary medicine curricula. Other achievements in this area are: STANDZ supported Myanmar s Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department in drafting its strategic plan for veterinary diagnostic laboratories ( ). Lao PDR also developed a National Animal Health Laboratory Strategic Plan based on recommendations from PVS Pathway missions. The Philippines developed its strategic plan for the National Animal Health Laboratory in 2013 and standardised testing protocols amongst the country s animal health laboratories based on PVS Pathway recommendations. The Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) Cambodia s National Veterinary Research Institute (NaVRI) utilised findings of the laboratory risk selfassessment to strengthen its laboratory biosafety and biosecurity management systems. Meanwhile, the National Institute of Animal Health (NIAH) laboratory of Thailand and laboratory of Malaysia are drafting their respective Laboratory Health and Safety Manuals based on lessons learned from STANDZ workshops. Conclusion Through STANDZ and with Australia s support, the OIE has effectively promoted the OIE PVS Pathway in South East Asia by raising countries awareness and supporting countries participation in various PVS Pathway components. More importantly, the programme also provided countries with the technical means to progress identified priorities. STANDZ contribution was, therefore, not only limited to illuminating gaps for strategic action by countries. The value of the STRIVES Programme component of STANDZ lay in providing demand-driven assistance that facilitated stakeholder-led action and ensured that such actions by countries Veterinary Services were guided by OIE international standards. STANDZ assistance led to: new and refined legislation and strategic plans on Veterinary Services; increased funding to national Veterinary Services; country-led Veterinary Services reforms; in-country platforms for better public-private partnerships in the veterinary sector; and rationalisation of donor-funded animal health programmes in line with national plans and priorities. STANDZ also made important contributions to enhance the quality of veterinary education and veterinary professional regulation in the region. These contributions will help develop competent human resources, a critical element to sustaining well-functioning Veterinary Services in South East Asia. STANDZ activities increased VEEs awareness and actual use of the OIE Guidelines on Veterinary Education Core Curriculum and the incorporation of the OIE Day 1 Competencies in their respective curricula. In Mekong countries where gaps in veterinary human resources are most severe, STANDZ supported the successful development and launching of new DVM courses in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar with curricula consistent with OIE guidelines and recommendations. Moreover, STANDZ also supported 3 countries out of the 4 countries in South East Asia without a VSB to develop national legislation that allows the future establishment of a VSB. Through STRIVES, a regional ASEAN VSB Network was established as a platform for well-established and new VSBs in the region to learn from each other and harmonise VSB standards to support national Veterinary Services and veterinarians as they face the challenges and opportunities from greater regional integration under the ASEAN Economic Community. STANDZ outcomes serve as strong and sustainable foundations that contribute to enhancing good veterinary governance and to strengthening national animal health systems in South East Asia in the effective prevention, control, and eradication of transboundary animal and zoonotic diseases.