Activities of the OIE for the Middle East Dr. Ghazi Yehia OIE Regional Representative for the Middle East Paris, 25 27 October 2011
Activities of the OIE RR ME activities Report on the activities and work programme of the OIE for the Middle East,
Activities of the OIE RR ME activities Objectives: To reinforce Veterinary Services capacities to control and manage animal diseases, notably transboundary diseases. It is also involved in harmonizing regulation to the regional trade of animal and animal products, improving animal diseases information system, strengthening collaboration with regional and international organisations, holding conferences and seminars that will help to target specific issues related to animal and public health, promoting the creation of regional reference laboratories and coordinating their activities, for diagnosis, and vaccine production adapted to regional needs. Since 2006, the RR became the secretariat office for the OIE/FAO GF TADs regional steering committee and for the new established OIE/FAO Regional Animal Health Center (RAHC). Unfortunately, the RAHC suspended its activities this year due to funding issues. Collaboration is also reinforced with other organisations, such as WHO/MZCP and AU IBAR, AOAD. This year, the RR worked on organizing focal points training courses on Animal Welfare, Animal Information system, Aquatic animal diseases, and Food Safety. It also addressed assistance to countries requesting twinning process with parent OIE reference laboratories.
Training of OIE Focal Points on Aquatic animal diseases. 27 29 September, 2010 Dubai, UAE The main purpose of this workshop was to increase understanding of the OIE s roles and mandates and the relationships between veterinary, fisheries and aquaculture officials (as several OIE Focal Points are based in other Competent Authorities such as in Fisheries Departments, in Research Centers or Universities). Accordingly, this workshop was a first step to enhance the knowledge of Focal Points for Aquatic Animals on the OIE standards and on their role, according to their Terms of Reference. Participants supported the idea to build a network of regional OIE Focal Points for Aquatic Animals. This would provide a good start in improving collaboration and the exchange of information between all regional countries, playing a large part in improving knowledge with respect to standards. such a network at the regional level in order to discuss particular issues they are facing.
Training of OIE Focal Points on Animal Welfare. 23 25 November, Beirut, Lebanon The main purpose of this workshop was to increase the understanding of the OIE s roles and mandates and to support the activities of the OIE Focal Points on Animal Welfare by giving them guidance to follow and implement their Terms of References. The proposal to build a network of regional OIE Focal Points on Animal Welfare would provide a good start in improving collaboration and exchange of information between all regional countries, playing a large part in improving knowledge with respect to standards. Participants expressed also their wishes to benefit from regular follow up workshops on this topic.
Training of OIE Focal Points on Animal Disease Notification. 23 25 January 2011, Beirut, Lebanon This workshop was an advanced step to increase the understanding on animal health information system and the OIE s roles and mandates and to support the activities of the OIE Focal Points on Animal disease notification by giving them guidance to follow and implement their Terms of References. The workshop meant also to build a base to provide in improving collaboration and exchange of information between all regional countries. Participants expressed also their wishes to benefit from regular follow up workshops on this topic.
Training of OIE Focal Points on Animal Production Food Safety. 04 06 April 2011, Hammamet, Tunisia This workshop has been held jointly with FP in Africa. The purpose of this workshop was to increase the understanding of the OIE s roles and mandates in animal production food safety and to support the inter sectoral collaboration in this field in member countries. It is also to give the terms of references to FP to act accordingly and improve coordination with respect of the international standards. The joint workout in this field was highly appreciated by the participants.
Regional information seminar for recently designated OIE Delegates in Africa and the Middle East This seminar, which was designed to be as practical as possible in terms of presentations made to the participants, aimed to provide Delegates with relevant information on the mandate of the OIE, its activities, as well as its operational procedures, to help them clearly comprehend their rights and responsibilities, as well as those of their focal points, to improve their participation in the development processes of new OIE standards and finally to encourage them to enforce OIE standars at national level, together with the business community. The seminar was attended by the OIE Delegates (or their deputies) of Benin, Burundi, Djibouti, Gambia, Ghana, Madagascar, Mauritania, Seychelles, Somalia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. South Sudan was represented by a livestock officer, in the capacity of observer. The meeting was also attended by the OIE Regional Representatives for Africa and for the Middle East, by the President of the OIE Regional Commission for the Middle East and by the OIE Sub Regional Representatives in Africa, based in Gaborone, Tunis and Nairobi
Participants were unanimously convened to improve the role of the RC and to strengthen the coordination between member countries in order to harmonize sanitary relationship and animal health situation in the region. Participants appreciate the role played by the OIE s which aim to address animal health issues with their regional specificities. The s work in close collaboration with the Regional Commission in order to cover those regional specificities. It is important for the Commission to meet before going to the General Session in order to discuss the different issues affecting the region and to participate at the General Session with a unified vision. A potential meeting in Doha, Qatar in March April 2012 is proposed. In summary, the title of the activities is to: Developing nationally Improving Regionally Harmonizing Internationally.
Supporting the THE FUNDING OF THE RR ME DEPENDS ON AN ANNUAL VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION OF THE LEBANESE GOVERNMENT AND ON THE 10 % OF THE ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE OIE OF REGIONAL MEMBERS. BUT, ACCORDING TO THE FACT THAT THERE ARE ONLY 12 MEMBERS IN THE OIE REGIONAL COMMISSION FOR THE MIDDLE EAST AND THAT MOST OF THESE MEMBERS ARE NOT IN THE HIGHEST CONTRIBUTION CATEGORIES, THE PART OF REGIONAL MEMBERS CONTRIBUTION IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO REACH THE ANNUAL BUDGET THE RR ME NEEDS ANNUALLY TO IMPLEMENT ITS ACTIVITIES PROGRAMME. It would be appreciated that the Members of the region support the work of the Commission by allocating higher financial contributions. There are twenty members in the Commission and many of them belong to two regions and thus contributions are not completely allocated to the Commission. Support to the activities of RC and RR should be oriented to find potential donors to cover funding of these activities. Suggestions went toward addressing main financial sources existing in the region: ISDB, OPEC, AGFUND.. The strategy to approach these resources should be planned by the bureau of the commission.
Improving Animal Health Situation Participants were aware of the endemic situation of many countries in the region related to major diseases and raised several suggestions to coordinate actions in the surveillance and control of these diseases. Major Diseases in the Region: FMD Bluetongue Brucellosis PPR Glanders RVF and CCHF
FMD There are seven immunologically distinct serotypes of FMD virus, three of which (A, O, Asia 1) were reported in the Middle East in 2010 and 2011. The disease is present throughout almost the entire region. The figure below shows the distribution of FMD occurrence in 2010 2011 by serotype, based on the information provided by 22 countries
FMD According to the above, a project plan for the control of FMD in the Asian countries of the Middle East has been established and presented to the RC in 2010. It includes a first phase the organization of two workshops, one for the capacity building in surveillance and the second in laboratory diagnosis. The project need to be presented to potential sponsors for implementation: Iran proposed coordination with the Islamic Development Bank. The FAO and OIE will continue to tackle FMD situation in the region by organizing the 6 th roundtable in March 2012 and will include the world wide proposed plan with harmonization to the regional needs.
Bluetongue Several BTV serotypes have been reported around the Mediterranean basin and in the Middle East. Vaccination campaigns have been undertaken for several BTV serotypes, on either a compulsory or voluntary basis.
Bluetongue Several BTV serotypes have been reported in the region. Surveillance needs to be maintained in order to detect the occurrence of any new serotype. Diagnostic tests need to differentiate between serotypes in order to tailor the control measures to the epidemiological situation in neighbouring areas. The introduction of a new BT serotype has to be addressed by Veterinary Authorities by adapting the measures according to the epidemiological situation (e.g. vaccination, stamping out, quarantine). As a first step, Lebanon and Tunisia collaborate successfully with the reference laboratory in Teramo on this issue. Member countries of the region are urged to follow this initiative.
Brucellosis In most countries in the region, B. abortus and B. melitensis are notifiable; there are control programmes and general surveillance is applied. Figure: Distribution of brucellosis due to B. abortus reported in the Middle East in 2010 and early 2011
Brucellosis Figure: Distribution of brucellosis due to B. melitensis reported in the Middle East in 2010 and 2011 In the countries that have an on going eradication programme, mass vaccination should be applied where the prevalence is high to bring it to a lower level; then, a test and slaughter strategy with compensation for farmers should be put in place in order to progress towards eradicating the disease.
PPR The disease is present in several parts of the region. It is important that countries at risk deploy control measures, such as precautions at the border, quarantine, movement controls within the country, and reinforced vaccination, to contain or prevent the introduction of the disease. The OIE RR for the Middle East will closely follow the plan presented by FAO in this issue in 2012.
Glanders In 2010 and 2011, some countries of the Middle East reported the occurrence of the disease in their territories, surveillance programs started with the assistance of the OIE reference laboratories in Dubai and Germany. The re emergence of this disease in the region urged the OIE to organize a regional conference on Glanders in the beginning of 2012 where international experts are invited to clarify interpretation of the activity of causal agent and measures to be implemented. The Commission will also work to present to the OIE Code Commission a dossier based on scientific findings in order to review the chapter on Glanders in the Terrestrial Code.
Glanders
RVF and CCHF These two diseases, with zoonotic aspects, are for major importance in the region and they cause restrictions on trade on animals and animal products to the Middle East countries. The RR is scheduling a seminar to discuss updates of the prevalence of these diseases in the region and in the neighbourhood in order to plan a coordinating action with trading partners.
Strengthening VS in the Middle East THE OIE RC AND RR WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS STRENGTHENING THE TECHNICAL CAPACITIES, MANAGEMENT, LEGISLATION AND THE OVERALL GOOD GOVERNANCE OF VS OF THE MEMBER COUNTRIES THE REGIONAL REPRESENTATION IS PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO MEMBERS TO REQUESTGAP ANALYSIS AND FOLLOW UP MISSIONS TO COMPLEMENT THE FINDINGS OF THE PVS REPORTS ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED IN ALL COUNTRIES OF THE MIDDLE EAST.
Improving national laboratories capabilities The importance of Twinning activities being focussed on expertise transfer and that no funding for hardware of upgrading of facilities should be planned through any Twinning activity. The ultimate aim of any Twinning activity should be to reach the OIE Reference Laboratory status. In the Middle East, there is a lack of OIE Reference Laboratories. There are many endemic diseases in the region and Reference Laboratories would be of good support to surveillance activities.
Improving national laboratories capabilities IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE ON GOING OIE TWINNING PROJECTS WORLDWIDE, PROJECTS ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED IN COUNTRIES OF THE REGION COVERING MAJOR DISEASES PREVAILING IN THE REGION BESIDE ISSUES OF GREAT CONCERNS SUCH AS FOOD SAFETY AND ANIMAL WELAFARE. THE RR WILL FOLLOW ALL REQUESTS IN THIS SUBJECT IN 2012. Country candidate Subject Parent laboratory Actions taken UAE Brucellosis FLI Jena Germany in process Qatar Avian Influenza IZS Verona pending Kuwait P.P.R CIRAD in request Lebanon Bluetongue Teramo in process Oman Rabies FLI Jena In request KSA FMD Pirbright First visit Syria Food Safety Teramo cc in process Syria Veterinary Medicinal products ANSSA In request Yemen Bees diseases ANSSA In request Bahrein Tuberculosis FLI Jena To request UAE CCPP CIRAD In request Egypt RVF Onderstepoort In request
Animal Welfare Strategy In order to reach the objective of an Animal Welfare Strategy, it was suggested that the Regional Commission has discussions on the different components of a plan to address animal welfare needs in the Region. Such plan could include the issuance of a national legislation for the animal welfare, supporting animal welfare Focal Points, the involvement of religious authorities, the establishment of an animal welfare working group and a board or congress for the animal welfare including the Delegates of the region and representative from the NGOs, private sector, donors, and other stakeholders, among others activities. It would be interesting to meet with countries such Australia which are pioneers in animal welfare and can help the rest of the world to move forward on this issue. The RR is scheduling a workshop for Focal Points on Animal Welfare to be held in Beirut in December 2012.
Forthcoming Activities 2011 Post Twinning Workshop Turkey, November 2011 Regional workshop for Africa and the Middle East on Veterinary Medicinal Products: Casablanca Morocco 6 9 December 2011
Forthcoming Activities 2012 Regional Conference on Glanders Bahrain January 2012 GF TADs Steering Committee Meeting New Delegates Seminar in Joint with RR Asia and the Pacific, February 2012, Tokyo, Japan FMD 6 th Roundtable Beirut, Lebanon March 2012 Regional Workshop on RVF and CCHF Oman, April 2012 Consultative meeting of laboratories experts in the region Jordan, September 2012 Training of Focal Points on Communication, Dubai, October 2012 Training of Focal Points on Animal Welfare, Beirut, December 2012 Other meetings: Regional Commission Bureau Meeting, Doha, April 2012 Global Conference on WAHIS, Paris Global Conference on FMD, June 2012, Bangkok.
Collaboration with other International and Regional Organisations. FAO GF TADs Steering committee during the Glanders Conference in Oman, January 2012. FMD roundtable is proposed to be held in Beirut in March 2012 Project ready to be started.
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