Rinderpest workshop, Accra 2006

Dr Lea Knopf
OIE Scientific and Technical Department

The OIE system for the evaluation of

country status for rinderpest
 Presentation outline

• General framework
• International standards, guidelines and
recommendations
• Procedure of official country disease
status recognition
• The OIE rinderpest pathway
General Framework
• founded in 1924 –
predates the UN

• an intergovernmental
organisation

• headquarters in Paris

– Regional Representations:
Bamako, Buenos Aires,
Tokyo, Sofia and Beirut

– Two Sub-regional Offices:

Bangkok, Gaborone
167 Member Countries (May 2006)

49

13

29 26
50

Americas: 29 – Africa: 50 – Europe: 49 – Middle East: 13 – Asia: 26

 Standards-setting
organizations

food safety animal health plant health

CODEX OIE IPPC

Codex = Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission

OIE = World Organization for Animal Health
IPPC = International Plant Protection Convention (FAO)
 OIE Objectives
To ensure transparency in the global animal disease and zoonosis
Transparency
situation
Scientific
To collect, analyse and disseminate scientific veterinary information
Information
International To provide expertise and encourage international solidarity in the control
Solidarity of animal diseases
Within its mandate under the WTO SPS Agreement, to safeguard world
Sanitary Safety trade by publishing health standards for international trade in animals and
animal products
Promotion of To improve the legal framework and resources of national Veterinary
Veterinary Services Services
animal production
To provide a better guarantee of the safety of food of animal origin and to
food safety and
promote animal welfare through a science-based approach
animal welfare
One of the main objectives of the OIE
Mandate under the WTO SPS Agreement

Safeguard
Safeguardworld
worldtrade
tradeby
bypublishing
publishinghealth
health
standards
standardsfor
forinternational
internationaltrade
tradein
inanimals
animals
and
andanimal
animalproducts
products

Achieved through:
••Science-based
Science-basedprovisions
provisions
••Transparent
Transparentprocedures
procedures
••Endorsement
Endorsementby
byall
allMember
MemberCountries
Countries
Key Provisions of the SPS Agreement
• Scientific justification
– Risk assessment
– Use international standards (“harmonization”)
• Avoid arbitrary levels of protection (“consistency”)
• Accept “equivalence”
• Recognize disease- and pest-free areas
• Notify measures taken (“transparency”)
• Technical assistance
 Recognition of official animal
health status
• Promote and protect animal health in international
trade
• OIE officially recognises country / zone animal
health status currently for 4 diseases
 FMD
 rinderpest
 CBPP
 BSE
• Demand for expansion to other diseases (e.g. AI)
International standards,
guidelines and recommendations

• Terrestrial Animal
Health Code
• Aquatic Animal Health
Code
• Manual of Diagnostic
Tests and Vaccines for
Terrestrial Animals
• Manual of Diagnostic
Tests for Aquatic
Animals
RP-related procedures
Evaluation of country status

Terrestrial
TerrestrialAnimal
AnimalHealth
HealthCode
Code

Chapter
Chapter2.2.12:
2.2.12:provision
provisionfor
forthe
theRP
RPstatus
status
ofofthe
thecattle
cattlepopulation
populationininaacountry.
country.
Outcome
Outcomeofofthe theevaluation
evaluationand
andpossible
possible
stages:
stages:
•Free
•Freefrom
fromRP RPinfection
infection
•Free
•Freefrom
fromRP
RPdisease
disease
•Provisionally
•ProvisionallyRP
RPfree
free
RP-related procedures
Evaluation of country status

Terrestrial
TerrestrialAnimal
AnimalHealth
HealthCode
Code
• Guidelines for the surveillance of RP (Appendix 3.8.2.)
• Surveillance for RP to explain the requirements of Chapter
2.3.12 in accordance with the general surveillance
guidelines

Manual
Manualof
ofDiagnostic
DiagnosticTests
Testsand
andVaccines
Vaccines
• Compliance of RP diagnostic laboratories with the
provisions of section I.1.2 (quality management)
• Diagnostic procedures and methods described in Chapter
2.1.4.
Procedures of official country
disease status recognition
Recognition of official animal disease status

Overview steps of the general procedure

1. Detailed questionnaire from OIE to requesting
country
2. Examination of data provided and supporting
documents by expert ad hoc Group
3. As necessary, expert mission to country
4. Scientific Commission evaluation
5. Decision of OIE International Committee by
consensus – formal resolution
6. Outcomes published on OIE Web site
Official recognition of the RP status by OIE

• A Member Country that wishes to be

evaluated:
– submits the complete application based on the
questionnaire to the OIE Director General and
– pays the requested fee (if applicable)

• The Scientific Commission:

– takes advice from an ad hoc Group of experts
– may ask for additional documentation
– concludes with the final recommendation for adoption
Principles of Ad hoc Groups:
• OIE convenes experts for open questions
• Internationally recognized expertise concerning the disease or
the technical aspect under question
• Request to examine specific scientific and technical issues,
including country evaluations
• Geographically balanced
• Technically balanced (diagnostics, field, epidemiology, …)
• Reports serve as guides for the Specialist Commissions and the
International Committee in forming recommendations and
making decisions
RP-related procedures
Assistance for Member Countries

The questionnaire assures:

– Completeness of information required

– In accordance with the requirements of the Code
– Adopted by the International Committee
– Transparent evaluation
Official recognition of the RP status by the OIE

• Once the application is accepted by Sci Com:

– all OIE Member Countries are informed
– Member Countries have 60 days for written objections
(scientific or technical)

• The International Committee at the General

Session:
– adopts a resolution on RP categorisation status
– Establishes an official list of countries or zones RP with the
respective status
post official status recognition

• Recognized disease status has to be confirmed

annually
– Usually in November
– Requesting evidence instead of “no changes”

• Comply with reporting obligations as a OIE

member country
– 6-monthly animal health reports
– Annual animal health reports
– Reporting of any unusual disease event or suspicion
Official disease status recognition and
international standards
Challenges

• Keeping track with changes in epidemiological

situations
• Newest scientific knowledge has to be taken into
account (eg. new diagnostic tools)
• Close collaboration needs to continue between
evaluators, member countries, OIE experts and
other international organisations
The OIE Rinderpest pathway
Revison of the OIE rinderpest pathway

Experts and OIE are revising the RP related

procedure of country status for

• Eradication of RP is (almost) achieved

• Clinical disease is a rare event
• Surveillance and interventions need to adapt
• Harmonization of the procedures of the 4 diseases
(e.g. FMD, adaptation CBPP)

Aim: Adoption of the revised recognition procedure by

the International Committee in May 2007
Current OIE Rinderpest pathway
OIE Rinderpest pathway under revision

 

No clinical disease,
no infection

-1 0 1 2
 Historical freedom
Recognised free from infection without formally applying a
pathogen-specific surveillance programme when:
– disease has never occurred;
– eradication has been achieved for at least 25 years

Provided that for at least the past 10 years:

– disease has been notifiable;
– early detection system in place;
– measures to prevent infection introduction in place;
– no vaccination against the disease;
– no infection established in wildlife

(A country cannot apply for historical freedom if there is any evidence of infection in wildlife)
 Challenges and Opportunities
Continuation and further regional activities

• Strengthening National Veterinary Services

(including capacity building and evaluation of Veterinary
Services)
• Regional alliance and networks for animal health
improvement
• Development of regional strategies of disease
eradication including prevention and control of
Emerging Zoonoses & Transboundary Animal
Diseases
• Tailored support for applications of member countries
 World Organisation for Animal Health
12 rue Prony
75017 Paris, France
Tel: 33 (0)1 44 15 18 88 – Fax: 33 (0)1 42 67 09 87
Email: oie@oie.int

Detailed information available at

http://www.oie.int