OIE endorsement of foot and mouth disease control programmes and recognition of disease-free status

mission helps to define the objectives and priorities of a country’s Veterinary Services, in terms of compliance with OIE quality standards, suitably adapted to national constraints and priorities. In addition, periodic PVS Evaluation follow-up missions provide a way of measuring the progress that countries have made in sustainably improving their compliance with the OIE quality standards set out in the OIE Terrestrial Code. The initial country PVS evaluation is the baseline, founded on democratically adopted OIE international standards on the quality of Veterinary Services. Regular country PVS Evaluation follow-up missions (every three to five years) are useful to assess, monitor and amplify the progress made (changes in legislation, structure, the impact of national and international investments, improved technical capacities, etc.). Figure 1 is the visual representation of the OIE strategy for the use of OIE standards on the quality of Veterinary Services.

‘Diagnosis’ ‘Prescription’

PVS Evaluation

PVS Gap Analysis

Including Veterinary Services’ strategic priorities

‘Treatment’ Capacity building, specific activities, projects and programmes

Veterinary Legislation

Public / Private Partnership

Veterinary Education

Laboratories PVS Pathway Follow-Up Missions

Fig. 1 The OIE Performance of Veterinary Services Pathway for good governance of Veterinary Services

These missions are conducted by OIE PVS certified experts at the request of the country in question.

Performance of Veterinary Services evaluations

The initial PVS evaluation of a country, using the OIE PVS Tool (5), sets the baseline, founded on democratically adopted OIE international standards on the quality of Veterinary Services (7). The OIE PVS Tool (5) is based on four fundamental components: − human, physical and financial resources; − technical authority and capability; − interaction with stakeholders; and − access to markets. The 2013 (sixth) edition of the OIE PVS Tool includes 47 critical competencies; for each critical competency, five levels can be assessed, from 1 (less advanced) to 5 (more advanced).

A harmonised approach is implemented, and the following documents are given to all accredited OIE PVS Assessors: − the Manual of the Assessor – Volume 1: Guidelines for conducting an OIE PVS Evaluation; − the Manual of the Assessor – Volume 2: Guidelines for writing an OIE PVS Evaluation Report; − the OIE PVS Tool with Provisional Indicators (now the sixth edition, published in 2013). To date (April 2015), a total of 133 official country requests for a PVS evaluation have been received; 123 initial PVS evaluation missions have already been completed, as presented in Table I. A worldwide overview of the state of play of PVS evaluations is presented in Figure 21 .

Table I Performance of Veterinary Services evaluation missions – state of play up to April 2015

OIE Members

PVS evaluation requests received

PVS evaluation missions implemented Draft PVS evaluation reports received

Reports available for (restricted) distribution to donors and partners Publication on the OIE website

Africa 54 53 51 51 42 8 Americas 29 25 23 23 19 9 Asia, the Far East and Oceania 32 24 22 22 11 1 Europe 53 18 16 16 12 1 Middle East 12 13 11 11 5 1 TOTAL 180 133 123 123 89 20

Performance of Veterinary Services Gap Analysis

A PVS Gap Analysis mission (6) helps to define the objectives and priorities of a country’s Veterinary Services, in terms of compliance with OIE quality standards, suitably adapted to national constraints and priorities. The country PVS Gap Analysis (PVS Costing Tool) report includes an indicative annual budget and one exceptional budget (for exceptional investments), when relevant, consolidated to propose an indicative five-year budget for the country’s Veterinary Services. In practice, this means: − defining, together with the Veterinary Services, and in accordance with national priorities and constraints, the expected result (i.e. level of advancement defined in the OIE PVS Tool) at the end of the five-year period for the critical competencies of the OIE PVS Tool which are relevant to the national context; − determining the activities to be carried out in order to achieve the expected results for the critical competencies of the OIE PVS Tool which are relevant to the national context of the country; − determining, with the help of information, data or interviews, the tasks and human, physical and financial resources required to implement these activities to enable the Veterinary Services to function appropriately. As with the OIE PVS Tool, the PVS Gap Analysis (PVS Costing Tool) follows a harmonised approach. All PVS Gap Analysis experts are provided with the PVS Gap Analysis Experts’ Manual, made up of the following: − Volume I – Guidelines for conducting a mission; − Volume II – Guidelines for writing a country PVS Gap Analysis Report; − The PVS Gap Analysis Tool (PVS Costing Tool) and Tool Box.

Fig. 2 Worldwide overview of Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) evaluation missions (as of April 2015)

official country request received; PVS evaluation mission not yet completed

PVS evaluation mission completed; country PVS report not yet available

country PVS reports available for donors and partners

specific approach

PVS evaluation missions have pinpointed the following global diagnosis: − national and international competition for resources; − the weakness of many national Veterinary Services (legislation, human and financial resources); − Veterinary Services need to improve their ability to present financial information and cost/benefit arguments to support their objectives, both internally (line Minister, Minister of Finance, national Parliament) and, if needed, externally (donors and international organisations). The country PVS Gap Analysis priority objectives focus primarily on the national context of the country and its priorities. How and what to finance is a sovereign decision of the country. The country’s government decides if this is kept for internal use (government funding) or shared with donors and relevant international organisations to prepare investment programmes. To date (April 2015), 96 official country requests for PVS Gap Analysis (78% of countries which have benefited from an initial PVS evaluation) have already been received and 79 PVS Gap Analysis missions have already been completed; an overview of the situation is presented in Table II. The country PVS Gap Analysis report can be used for in-country discussions with the line Minister, other Ministries, the Ministry of Finance, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Head of State, the National Parliament, depending on the circumstances within the country; the preparation of the country’s Veterinary Services budget and national or international investments; and round-table discussions, within the country, with donor agencies and international organisations, including FAO. From experience, the preparation of round-table discussions in the country begins with bilateral contacts with donors and the headquarters of international organisations, followed by bilateral contacts at the country level, before a representative round-table discussion with all concerned stakeholders can be organised.

Table II Performance of Veterinary Services Gap Analysis missions – state of play up to April 2015

OIE Members PVS Gap Analysis requests received

PVS Gap Analysis missions implemented PVS Gap Analysis missions reports received

Reports available for (restricted) distribution to donors and partners

Africa 54 46 43 43 26 Americas 29 15 12 12 9 Asia, the Far East and Oceania 32 18 13 13 7 Europe 53 9 7 7 3 Middle East 12 8 4 4 0 Total 180 96 79 75 45

Veterinary legislation

The OIE is aware that, in many developing countries, veterinary legislation is inadequate to address the challenges of today and of the future. Veterinary legislation is an essential element of the national infrastructure that enables Veterinary Services to efficiently carry out their key functions. At the request of Members, the OIE has developed guidelines (4) on all the essential elements to be covered in veterinary legislation. Any Member that has participated in an OIE PVS Evaluation may request a specific PVS Pathway Follow-up mission dedicated to the provision of advice and assistance in modernising the national veterinary legislation. The OIE guidelines on veterinary legislation will be used to amend the gaps in the national legislation identified during the course of the OIE PVS Evaluation. Any Member that has participated in an OIE PVS Evaluation may request a Veterinary Legislation Support Programme mission as an additional mission, designed to provide advice and assistance in modernising the national veterinary legislation. In 2010, the OIE published the first edition of the OIE Veterinary Legislation Manual. The manual is composed of the following three components: − Veterinary Legislation Support Programme Manual, Volume I – OIE procedures; − Veterinary Legislation Support Programme Manual, Volume II – Technical guidance; − Veterinary Legislation Support Programme Manual, Volume III – Reference materials. The second edition of the OIE Veterinary Legislation Manual has been published in 201522 .

Conclusion: the OIE vision

A world capable of preventing, detecting, containing, eliminating and responding to animal and public health risks attributable to zoonoses and animal diseases (both domestic and wildlife) with an impact on food security through multi-sectoral cooperation and strong partnerships.

2, 3 & 4 : Post-meeting note: information updated after the 2012 FAO/OIE global conference on FMD control

Acknowledgements

The OIE PVS Tool and the PVS Gap Analysis Tool (PVS Costing Tool) have been developed with the support of several experts and donors. Considerable time has passed since the OIE carried out a pilot project, co-financed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the World Bank, aimed at evaluating the performance of Veterinary Services in 15 countries in three regions and completed a ‘gap analysis’ mission in ten countries. As of April 2015, the OIE has received an official request for a PVS evaluation from 133 countries and 123 initial PVS evaluation missions have been completed worldwide; this has already generated 96 official requests from countries for a PVS Gap Analysis (PVS Costing Tool), based on the country’s PVS Report3 . The PVS Pathway for efficient Veterinary Services was thus born and is now a fully-fledged worldwide project, co-financed and supported notably by the European Union, the World Bank, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan, Italy, France, Australia, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, through the OIE World Animal Health and Welfare Fund4 . Very helpful and valuable advice and guidance were provided by the OIE ad hoc Group on Evaluation of Veterinary Services, currently chaired by Dr Herbert Schneider, and questions raised and comments and written reviews were provided by the numerous participants who attended the four PVS training sessions, the two PVS feedback sessions, the two PVS Gap Analysis training sessions and the first feedback session on the PVS Gap Analysis Tool.

References

1. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)/World Health Organization (WHO) Collaboration (2010). – Sharing responsibilities and coordinating global activities to address health risks at the animal–human–ecosystems interfaces – a tripartite concept note (April 2010). Available at: www.fao.org/docrep/012/ak736e/ak736e00.pdf; www.who.int/foodsafety/zoonoses/final_concept_note_ Hanoi.pdf; and www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Current_Scientific_Issues/docs/pdf/FINAL_CONCEPT_NOTE_ Hanoi.pdf (accessed on 29 May 2012). 2. Kaul I., Grunberg I. & Stern M.A. (1999). – Global public goods. International cooperation in the 21st Century. Oxford University Press, Oxford. 3. World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (2010). – Notification of animal and human diseases. Global legal basis. Available at: www.oie.int/doc/ged/D7565.PDF (accessed on 29 May 2012). 4. World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (2009). – OIE Guidelines on Veterinary Legislation. Available at: www. oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Support_to_OIE_Members/docs/pdf/A_Guidelines_VetLeg.pdf (accessed on 29 May 2012). 5. World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (2010). – OIE PVS Tool – the OIE Tool for the Evaluation of Performance of Veterinary Services. Available at: www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/eng/Support_to_OIE_Members/docs/ pdf/A_2010_PVSToolexcludingindicators.pdf (accessed on 29 May 2012). 6. World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (2011). – PVS Gap Analysis Tool. Available at: www.oie.int/en/supportto-oie-members/pvs-gap-analysis/pvs-gap-analysis-tool/ (accessed on 29 May 2012). 7. World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (2012). – Terrestrial Animal Health Code. 20th Ed., Section 3, Quality of Veterinary Services. Available at: www.oie.int/index.php?id=169&L=0&htmfile=titre_1.3.htm (accessed on 29 May 2012).

3 4

OIE endorsement of foot and mouth disease control programmes and recognition of disease-free status

G. Brückner

President of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases, 30 Schoongezicht, 1 Scholtz Street, Somerset West 7130, South Africa Correspondence: gkbruckner@gmail.com

Summary

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has, since its founding in 1924, facilitated the safe trade of animals and animal products to prevent the spread of animal diseases across the globe. Acknowledging the disease-free status of countries to facilitate trade has been integral to this process and has been advanced and adopted over the years to give further recognition to efforts of countries to enter disease-free animals and products into the international market. Since 1994, when the OIE initiated a system of recognising the favourable disease status of countries, the standards have been advanced to recognise the official free status of countries, zones and compartments. It is evident that Member Countries obtaining official recognition for either country or zonal disease freedom is a slow process that depends on the ability of countries or territories to achieve and maintain the recognised disease-free status. It is also a costly process that necessitates a sustainable and effective Veterinary Service and political will and commitment. At the 79th World Assembly of OIE Delegates in 2011, an amendment to the chapter on foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code (Terrestrial Code) was adopted to make provision for the endorsement of official control programmes for FMD for those countries still in the process of achieving disease freedom but which are not yet there. The criteria applied by the OIE Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases in assessing these applications and eventually recommending the endorsement of these applications by the World Assembly of OIE Delegates will be briefly described.

Keywords

Compartmentalisation – Control programmes – Foot and mouth disease – OIE – Scientific Commission – Terrestrial Code – World Organisation for Animal Health – Zoning.

Introduction

Since the establishment in 1924 as an intergovernmental body of concerned countries to prevent the international spread of animal diseases, the main objective of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) was to establish animal health standards to guide countries to help them in preventing the international spread of animal diseases that could cripple the economy of the world through the international trade in infected animals and animal diseases (6). Initially, the main concern was to prevent the further spread of rinderpest that was introduced into Europe in the early 1900s, but other devastating and trade-sensitive animal diseases, such as contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) and foot and mouth disease (FMD), necessitated similar preventative actions. Over the years, trade-sensitive diseases of other animal species, such as pigs and poultry, were added to the list of concerned diseases for which the OIE developed standards to mitigate the risk of international spread through the trade in animals and animal products. During the 1980s it was realised by the OIE that its Member Countries that had invested substantially in controlling these diseases and maintaining a negative animal disease status within their national borders should also be eligible to benefit from their costly disease control efforts by having their negative disease status officially recognised. The OIE subsequently, in 1995, mandated the then FMD and other Epizootics Commission (which in 2003 became the Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases [SCAD]) to develop scientific-based standards

to officially recognise the negative FMD status of Member Countries and give them the benefit of publicly using this officially allocated negative disease status by the OIE to facilitate trade (8). The same process was followed in 2000 for rinderpest, CBPP in 2003, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in 2004 and African horse sickness (AHS) in 2012. It was also decided by the then International Committee of the OIE that Member Countries that do not receive an official recognition by the OIE for their disease status for FMD, CBPP, rinderpest, BSE and AHS would not be allowed to make a self-declaration for freedom from these diseases within their national territory but would, however, be eligible to do so on their own responsibility for other OIE-listed diseases – provided they meet the criteria for recognition of country or zonal freedom as prescribed in the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code (Terrestrial Code) (4); the main reason being that official recognition by the OIE of the disease status of a country should be consistent for all countries and the status is judged by the same standards and evaluated for compliance with these standards by a body mandated by the World Assembly of Delegates. This mandate was given to the OIE SCAD, which has, ever since, been tasked to perform the function on behalf of the World Assembly of OIE Delegates for evaluating compliance of applicant Member Countries with the requirements of the OIE Terrestrial Code for those animal diseases eligible for official status recognition.

The rationale of the OIE Terrestrial Code for the recognition of disease status

The main objective of the OIE Terrestrial Code is to facilitate the safe trade of animals and animal products and to prevent unjustified trade barriers. Together with the standards in the OIE Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals (OIE Terrestrial Manual), it provides guidance and standards for the control, prevention and diagnosis of animal diseases; criteria for the recognition of disease-free countries, zones and compartments; and risk mitigation measures for the safe trade in animals and animal products. For all the diseases eligible for official status recognition, the Terrestrial Code defines the disease for trade purposes; provides categories for disease freedom and criteria for the recovery of status in the event of the loss of a recognised disease status; and provides risk mitigation measures for the safe trade in commodities, animals and animal products and specific surveillance guidelines to prove the absence of disease and infection. In the case of FMD, further standards are provided for the official endorsement of national disease control programmes for FMD. Disease status was initially restricted to freedom from disease in the country as a whole. However, it was soon realised that to extend the advantage to Member Countries for which it was not possible for the entire country to be free from a particular disease or which would, because of financial and other restrictions, prefer to gradually move towards freedom, recognition should also be given to zones within a country free from disease. This was later extended to allow for compartments free from disease where, in contrast to zonal freedom based on geographical boundaries, the free status of a sub-population is managed in a compartment through the application and maintenance of biosecurity measures. To further facilitate trade, even in the event of infection with the disease, the principle of the establishment of containment zones in the event of limited outbreaks was introduced in the FMD chapter, as well as the identification of commodities eligible for trade even if a country is still infected with the disease. The standards for FMD, described in detail in Chapter 8.5. of the Terrestrial Code, provide for several categories of recognised disease status: historical freedom; free country without vaccination; free country with vaccination; free zone without vaccination; free zone with vaccination; and free compartment with vaccination. It further provides for the establishment of a containment zone in the event of a limited outbreak of FMD to effectively isolate an infected area whilst allowing the continuation of trade from the rest of a recognised free zone. Standards are also provided for risk mitigation measures to facilitate the import of commodities from countries infected with FMD and criteria are provided for the destruction of the FMD virus in commodities such as meat and milk to facilitate trade. Irrespective of the criteria for disease-free status for FMD described in the Terrestrial Code, generic to all these criteria is the requirement that FMD should be a notifiable disease; surveillance should be done in accordance with the requirements of the Terrestrial Code; outbreaks of the disease should be reported to the OIE; convincing evidence should be provided on the absence of infection and virus circulation; animals and animal populations of a different disease status should be effectively separated to prevent FMD virus transmission; and convincing evidence should be provided on the measures in place to prevent the introduction of FMD virus.