1. OIE Laboratory Twinning
Keith Hamilton
OIE Scientific and technical department, Paris
Will mention OIE lab twinning for avian influenza.
OIE supported twinning applies to reference laboratories and collaborating centres

2. OIE global Reference Laboratory network
International Standards
Technical advice
Early detection
Surveillance
Confirmatory
diagnosis
Research
Food safety
Reagent production
Biosafety and biosecurity

3. OIE laboratory expertise
OIE Reference Laboratories – expertise in surveillance and control of a named disease
OIE Collaborating Centres – expertise in a specific designated sphere of competence e.g. epidemiology, emerging avian diseases, zoonoses, veterinary medicinal products
Access to technical expertise including laboratory diagnostics, epidemiology, bioinformatics is essential for ensuring effective surveillance and control. The OIE has a network of nearly 2OO RLs and CCs in 32 countries that provide support to its Members.
RLs provide expertise in surveillance and Control of named disease and CC in a designated topic such as epidemiology. There are 8 RLs for AI and here in Georgia a CC for emerging avian diseases
At the moment there is a bias in the distribution of this network that favours developed countries and northern hemisphere.
Through the OIE laboratory twinning programme, OIE is working to redress this balance and provide a better global distn, so that all members have ready access to it.

4. Expertise allows members to
Detect disease early and control it rapidly
Readily apply guidelines and standards of OIE
Develop science-based policies
Debate OIE scientific justification for standards on an equal footing with other Members (better representation)
Develop and sustain scientific communities 4

6. Extending the network of capacity, expertise and standards through Twinning
To provide regional support for diseases and topics that are a priority in that region
To provide better global geographical coverage
To provide better coverage in developing and transition countries
Ultimately to provide improved access for more countries to high quality diagnostics and expertise
the objectives of twinning are to provide a better global geographical coverage of expertise and to provide better coverage for developing and transition countries in areas where it is needed. This will help with early detection of disease, more effective containment and control and will allow member countries ready access to expertise so that they are more able to debate international standards on an equal footing.

7. Each Twinning Project..
Aims to improve expertise and diagnostic capacity to meet OIE standards
Should be sustainable once the project is over
Some Candidate labs may eventually apply for OIE Reference Laboratory status when they are able to meet the mandate
Through this mutually beneficial relationship – aim to improve expertise and capacity in candidate lab. With eventual aim of attaining OIE standards. Accepted that not every candidate lab will become a reference lab but will move closer to it.
Some areas it will be beneficial to chose a lab that is not far off becoming a reference lab so that objective is more easily attainable.
Funding is available for supporting the link, travel, training, reagents etc but not for laboratory hardware. Although a component on training may be to help a lab put together a proposal for funding for hardware.

8. Mandate of OIE Reference Labs
to function as a centre of expertise and standardisation for a designated disease(s) or topics;
to store and distribute to national laboratories biological reference products and any other reagents used in the diagnosis and control of the designated disease(s) or topics;
to develop new procedures for diagnosis and control of the designated disease(s) or topics;
to gather, process, analyse and disseminate epizootiological data relevant to their speciality;
to place expert consultants at the disposal of the Office International des Epizooties

9. Mandate of OIE Reference Labs
provision of scientific and technical training for personnel from Member Countries of the Office;
provision of diagnostic testing facilities to Member Countries:
In the case of results that are confirmed positive for diseases that are reportable to OIE, the Reference Laboratory should immediately inform the OIE Delegate of the Member Country from which the samples originated as well as the OIE Central Bureau;
organisation of scientific meetings on behalf of the Office;
coordination of scientific and technical studies in collaboration with other laboratories or organisations;
publication and dissemination of any information in their sphere of competence which may be useful to Member Countries of the Office.

10. OIE support For exchange of knowledge, experience and expertise
Costs of travel, workshops, training materials
Not laboratory hardware or consultancy fees
Costs directly related to objectives of the twinning project
Cooperation with other capacity building programmes to ensure coordination
But will pay for an assessment of the material needs of the lab – to be used so that the correct equipment is bought and will complement twinning project.
BOTSWANA – OIE can identify material needs and FAO support purchase

11. OIE lab twinning for avian influenza and Newcastle disease
As you will see many of the twinning projects have been for avian influenza and there has been much success in establishing projects with the aim of improving geographical distribution. Must remember that not all of these projects will result in the labs becoming OIE RLs but will bring them closer to it. This is a mid to long term thing.
Each twinning project is a link between an OIE reference laboratory and a candidate laboratory, wishing to improve its expertise so that it can eventually provide regional support. Ultimate aim is for the Candidate lab to become an OIE RL – won’t happen in all cases.
Twinning is not about upgrading the equipment in the laboratory and funds are not available for purchase of equipment – however it is within the scope of twinning to identify material needs.
The project leads to a transfer of knowledge and expertise between the 2 laboratories – this is facilitated through sharing of ideas and experience in workshops, hands on training, exchanges between the 2 laboratories.
OIE Reference Labs
Candidate Labs

12. So far… Italy - Russia; avian influenza and Newcastle disease
UK - China; CSF and rabies
USA - Brazil; avian influenza and Newcastle disease
Italy - Eritrea; brucellosis
Germany - Egypt; Avian influenza and Newcastle disease
Italy - Cuba; avian influenza and Newcastle disease
UK - Turkey; brucellosis
Italy - Cuba; epidemiology
Italy - Botswana; CBPP
UK - South Africa; avian influenza and Newcastle disease
UK - Morocco; bluetongue and African horse sickness
UK - Botswana; avian influenza and Newcastle disease
Germany – Turkey; rabies

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Organisation Mondiale de la Santé Animale
World Organisation for Animal Health
Organización Mundial de Sanidad Animal
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