1. Head of Regional Activities Department
The PVS process, a global approach for the strengthening of National Veterinary Services
The OIE PVS tool
Presentation to Royal Veterinary College
OIE Headquarters, Paris
8 May 2009
Gastón Funes
Head of Regional Activities Department

2. SOME KEY FACTS Established in 1924: 174 Members
Intergovernmental organisation – predates the UN
Permanent Regional Representations: Bamako (Mali), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Tokyo (Japan), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Beirut (Lebanon)
Sub-regional Offices: Bangkok (Thailand), Gaborone (Botswana), Panama, Brussels (Belgium), Tunis (Tunisia)
Regional Commissions: Africa, America, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Middle East 52 13
Go through OIE objectives that are related to the subject of this conference
Guarantee the transparancy of the world zoosanitary information
To encourage international solidarity in the control of animal diseases : avian influenza does not need a passport
To provide healt standards for international trade: to give the CVO’ s recommendations on the trade of animals and animal products in case of an outbreak of one of the listed diseases. This will provide unjustified trade barriers, lead to fairer trade and is of benefit for the developing countries.
Provide a better guarantee of the safety of food of animal origin. 29 51 29

3. ‘The improvement of animal health all around the world’
OIE MANDATE
Historical: ‘To prevent animal diseases
from spreading around the world’
The 4th Strategic Plan 2006/2010 extends the OIE’s global mandate to:
‘The improvement of animal health all around the world’

4. Veterinary services Are in the front line to implement OIE objectives
protecting animal health
poverty alleviation
food security
protecting public health
market access
protecting animal welfare
food safety
Veterinary services are a global public good. Avian influenza has highlighted a number of things, in particular that an outbreak of disease in any country can be a threat to the whole international community.
Health
So clearly having strong veterinary services are important for protecting animal health. With XXX of diseases being zoonotic veterinary services have an important role to play in protecting human health too. H5N1 highlights this – the 3 main international organisations agree that the most effective way to H5N1 and to reduce the threat of a pandemic strain emerging from an avian strain is to control the disease in the animal source.
We have also seen that the links between wildlife health – livestock health and public health are important this is also the responsibility of veterinary services.
Poverty
Aside from health veterinary services have a very important role to play in protecting and improving the livelihoods of farmers and smallholders. Many of the poorest people in the world rely on farming as a source of income. Veterinary services can assist by improving productivity and reducing the impacts of disease. Through adequate surveillance and disease control Veterinary Services can facilitate access to international markets. They therefoe have a role to play in reducing poverty for those in the livestock sector and wider community. Efficient production has a role to play in food security.
Market access – through proper application of international standards and certification will facilitate access to markets and provide importing countries with the confidence that animals and products are safe to import in support of the WTO SPS agreement. Certain products are safe to trade even when there is an outbreak of an OIE listed disease in the country i.e. AI egg products
Protecting public health – 70avian influenza is a good example where the 3 international organisations agreed that the most effective way to reduce the threat of a pandemic was to deal with the disease in the animal source
Vet services have a strong role in ensuring that animals are treated with respect
Veterinary services are a responsibility of the government
Good veterinary services – sufficient expertise, capacity, resources
Governance – organisation of these resources, the oversight, the chain of command, regulation, confidence in certification
Strength and the governance of vet services are 2 separate things but it is the combination of the 2 that is essential.
So it is the combination of strong and well governed veterinary services that are important
are a global public good

5. OIE World Animal Health and Welfare Fund (World Fund)
Created in 2004 (Resol. XVII OIE IC)
« For the purpose of projects of international public utility related to the control of animal diseases, including those affecting humans and the promotion of animal welfare and animal production food safety »
Good governance of animal health mechanisms

6. OIE INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
Official references of the World Trade Organisation SPS Agreement
Adopted by consensus of OIE Members
Terrestrial Animal Health Code
mammals, birds and bees
Available at
Section 3: Quality of Veterinary Services
Chapter Veterinary Services
Chapter Evaluation of VS

7. The OIE-PVS Tool Evaluation of the Performance of Veterinary Services
a tool for Good Governance of Veterinary Services
Objective: 120 Countries
This global tool provided by the OIE will has a great impact on the promotion and improvement of Veterinary Services worldwide

8. OIE PVS TOOL: structure
4 fundamental components
Critical competencies (6 - 12)
5 levels of advancement

9. OIE PVS TOOL 4 FUNDAMENTAL COMPONENTS
Human, physical and financial resources
Technical authority and capability
Interaction with stakeholders
Access to markets

10. OIE PVS TOOL I) Human, physical and financial resources
critical competencies in each fundamental component
40 critical competencies ( split)
I) Human, physical and financial resources
Professional and technical staffing
Competencies of veterinarians and veterinary para-professionals
Physical resources
Funding ……

11. OIE PVS TOOL Critical Competencies: Levels of Advancement
5 levels of advancement (qualitative) for each critical competency
Level 1 no compliance
Level 5 full compliance with OIE standards
A higher level assumes compliance with all preceding levels

12. OIE PVS TOOL Critical competency II-1 Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosis
Example
Critical competency II-1
Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosis
Definition:
‘The authority and capability of the VS to identify and record pathogenic agents, including those relevant for public health, that can adversely affect animals and animal products’.

13. Example II. 1 Level Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosis 1.
Disease diagnosis is almost always conducted by clinical means only,
with laboratory diagnostic capability being generally unavailable. 2.
For major zoonoses and diseases of national economic importance, the VS have access to and use a laboratory to obtain a correct diagnosis. 3.
For other zoonoses and diseases present in the country, the VS have access to and use a laboratory to obtain a correct diagnosis. 4.
For diseases of zoonotic or economic importance not present in the country, but known to exist in the region and/ or that could enter the country, the VS have access to and use a laboratory to obtain a correct diagnosis. 5.
In the case of new and emerging diseases in the region or world, the VS have access to and use a network of national or international reference laboratories (e.g. an OIE Reference Laboratory) to obtain a correct diagnosis.
Terrestrial Code References:
Point 8 of Article on Fundamental principles of quality: Procedures and standards.
Point 3 of Article on Evaluation criteria for material resources: Technical.
Point 5 of Article on Laboratory services.

14. External independent evaluation (objectivity)
OIE PVS APPROACH
External independent evaluation (objectivity)
-Experts trained and certified by the OIE
-Based on facts & evidence, not impressions
Upon request of the country (voluntary basis)
To assess:
-Compliance with OIE Standards
-Strengths / Weaknesses
-Gaps / areas for improvement
Recognised by international donors
-Prerequisite and key guide for for investment requests
Not an audit
Country property (confidentiality of results)

15. STEPS IN THE OIE-PVS EVALUATION
Official request from the OIE Delegate
OIE proposes team of experts and dates
Preparation of the mission (documents and tentative programme)
EVALUATION mission (2 – 3 weeks)
Draft Report
Peer review
Country agreement/comments on PVS report
Final report confidential until this stage
…for release only if agreed

16. OIE-PVS Evaluation Team
Team Leader + Expert(s)
…+ Observer(s) …+ Facilitator(s)
~ 150 OIE certified PVS experts trained so far
(May 06; July 06; Feb. 07 and in Feb. 08) (adopted by OIE Members and recognised by donors)
Four operating languages: EN, FR, SP & RU
Geographical balance
Missions financed through the OIE World Fund

17. OIE-PVS Evaluation: An evolving process
Forum for discussions and analysis:
OIE-PVS internal Task Force
OIE Ad Hoc Group on Evaluation of VS
OIE specific workshops (feed back experts)
Useful elements:
OIE-PVS Tool
Indicators for each CC
OIE-PVS Manual of the Assessor:
Vol 1: Guidelines for conducting an evaluation
Vol 2: Guidelines for writing a PVS evaluation report

18. After OIE-PVS evaluations: Next steps
PVS Gap Analysis
(basis for strengthening Projects)
« Prescription for Treatment »
Quantitative
OIE-PVS Evaluation
« 1st Diagnostic »
Qualitative
Continuous missions (each 1-2 years)
Upon request of countries
OIE-PVS Experts
Monitoring and improvement process
Assessment of progressive evolution of steps taken
Final objective: compliance with OIE standards
PVS Follow Up missions
Evaluation of
« Evolution »

19. PVS Evaluation Missions – (As of 07 May 2009)
REGION
Official requests
from countries
Missions completed
Gap analysis
requests
AFRICA 40 35 15
AMERICAS 17 1
ASIA/ PACIFIC 13 12 2
EUROPE 11 3
MIDDLE EAST 9
TOTAL* 94 82 27
AFRICA (40): Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Côte D’Ivoire, Congo (DR), Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia (non OIE member), Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
AMERICAS (17): Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.
ASIA/PACIFIC (13): Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Fiji Islands, Indonesia, Korea (DPR), Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
EUROPE (12): Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
MIDDLE EAST (12): Afghanistan, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine (non OIE member), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
* In italics and black: Completed missions

20. 23 Gap Analysis requests
(As of 09 April 2009)

21. OIE Complementary Assistance
Animal Health and Veterinary Public Health Legislation generic Model (specific missions)
Laboratory twinning process
OIE Vaccine Bank support (AI, next FMD, Rabies, others HPED for some regions)
Regional training programmes for OIE Delegates and focal points
Cost/Benefits studies on Veterinary Services (Prevention cheaper than crisis)

22. « Without Good Governance of Veterinary Services… No early detection,
No rapid response,
No biosecurity measures,
No food safety / food security,
No reliability of export certification,
…OIE and Members Objectives
can not be achieved »

23. Thank you for your attention
Organisation mondiale de la santé animale
World Organisation for Animal Health
Organización Mundial de Sanidad Animal
12 rue de Prony, Paris, France - –