Similarly, cooperation between
nations of large areas makes the role of regional organizations important.
These regional organizations have varying formal agreements and arrange regular
meetings in addition to emergency or special topic sessions.
Highly virulent diseases can place
the producers of an entire continent at potential risk, along with its
consumers, because of the threat of increased costs or even a shortage of
animal products. Therefore, every effort should be made to harmonize
legislation and encourage cooperation in its enforcement.
Regarding the global international
organizations, United Nations organizations such as FAO and WHO, together with
OIE, assist member countries in animal health fields within the framework of
international responsibilities laid down by their respective constitutions and
agreements at global and regional levels.
The major forms of FAO technical
assistance are: technical advice; professional information; fielding of experts
and consultants; provision of technical documentation; training; and
preparation and execution of field projects in close cooperation with animal
health services of member countries. Under FAO's Regular Programme, the Animal
Health Service organizes, according to the needs and country requests, expert
consultations, training seminars, study tours, fellowships, etc. Particular
attention is given to the coordination and support of animal health research of
international importance and of the transfer of technology from developed to
developing countries. The technical responsibility is with the Animal Health
Service at FAO headquarters in Rome.
The establishment of regional
laboratories with international responsibilities specialized in the diagnosis
of specific diseases or in the production of vaccines and antigens has proved
very useful. These laboratories also provide for the standardization and, when
appropriate, the distribution of testing techniques and reagents. A very
important form of international cooperation is the international network of
FAO, WHO and OIE reference laboratories and collaborating centres. They are
able to provide advice and assistance with diagnosis on complex cases,
diagnostic standard reagents and training.
The International Office of
Epizootics (OIE) is an organization with official veterinary services in most
countries of the world. Founded in 1924, its principal objectives are to
stimulate and coordinate the dissemination of information on infectious diseases,
including changes in disease status and programmes. It publishes the International
Animal Health Code and Manual (for diagnostic and vaccine standardization),
which makes recommendations for international trade and disease control. OIE
cooperates actively with FAO and WHO on a variety of matters and with various
regional organizations. Information handling is its most important task and OIE
has sponsored a series of meetings and training courses on the subject. OIE
headquarters is in Paris.
The World Health Organization (WHO)
contributes significantly to animal health wherever human health is affected on
an international scale. This strongly regionalized organization has individual
country, continental and worldwide programmes and responsibilities. The Veterinary
Public Health (VPH) section, which deals with zoonoses and food hygiene,
reports to the director of the Division of Communicable Diseases. In addition
to their own resources, the VPH section has access to the expertise of the many
specialized WHO agencies. WHO cooperates closely with FAO and OIE.
FAO and WHO regional and subregional
offices coordinating or participating in animal health programmes in the
respective territories can be found on all continents.
Collaboration with other national
and international veterinary associations, such as the World Veterinary
Association, can benefit national animal health services. Many of these
associations publish scientific periodicals, which provide a useful source of
information for updating veterinarians in their specific fields of interest.
Accelerating communications of all
kinds and spreading and intensifying animal disease, together with
ever-increasing needs for animal production, require increasing international
cooperation. Nations and their organizations have, in most cases, agreed on
ways of accomplishing this important objective.
A description of the organization and functions
of the relevant international and regional organizations is given in Annex 6.
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