OIE workshop on official recognition of FMD free status for the Caribbean, The Bahamas, 25-26 September 2018

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)organizes a workshop on official recognition of Foot and Mouth-Disease (FMD) free status for Caribbean countries thanks to the generous funding of the Government of Brazil. This workshop aims at training the relevant veterinary professionals of Caribbean countries (including OIE Members and non-OIE Members) on the requirements and procedures for official recognition of FMD free status as well as on the requirements for early warning system, prevention and surveillance. CaribVET will collaborate in the implementation of the main recommendations of the workshop.

Objectives

It is hoped that, through this seminar, the participants will be able to collect and prepare all information required for presenting a comprehensive dossier for official recognition of freedom from FMD in accordance with the Terrestrial Code.

Participants

The following 11 countries were invited to participate with 2 each country nominating two representatives:

  • OIE Members without FMD status: Barbados, Bahamas, Curacao, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago.  
  • Non-OIE Members without FMD status: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Several OIE and regional experts on FMD will conduct the training, representatives of organisations working on FMD control in the Americas, and staff from the OIE Headquarters in Paris, France in charge of official status recognition will participate.

CaribVET has also been invited also to participate and will be represented by the Chair of the CaribVET SC, Dr. Auria king (CVO and OIE Delegate from Saint Lucia). She is invited to make an opening speech as well as to participate in a small round table discussion under agenda item: “Perspectives and strategies of cooperation regarding FMD in the Region”.

Rationale for this first regional workshop

The OIE and CaribVET have recognised the need for countries to have official recognition of diseas status and the strengthening of the capacity of Veterinary Services staff to implement OIE standards and guidelines for disease status recognition and prepare the dossiers of application for status recognition and for the endorsement of programmes in order to improve the understanding of the structure and process, the quality of the submissions and easing the evaluation of the dossier.

This workshop is built on a series of similar seminars conducted in 2015-2017 for other OIE members and dealt with the procedure for the official recognition of country disease status and the endorsement of official control programme. Objective: strengthen the capacity of OIE Members to better compile a dossier for the official recognition of their disease status and for the endorsement of their national official control programme, in accordance with OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code (Terrestrial Code). 

FMD - a priority disease in the Americas

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) has been identified as a priority transboundary animal disease in the Americas in which a plan exists to achieve hemispheric control and eradication of the disease. Progressively many countries in the region have been recognised by the OIE as having an FMD free status with or without vaccination. This recognition has positively impacted a country’s commercial attractiveness and credibility from trading partners. The Caribbean is historically free of FMD without vaccination bu apart from a few OIE member countries (Belize, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Guyana and Suriname), the FMD free status without vaccination has not been officially recognized. 

Programme

Partners

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The OIE is a partner of CaribVET, member of the CaribVET Steering Committee and has officially recognized the network by signing a letter of understanding in 2012. Growing concern on FMD was raised over the years during Annual Meetings of the CaribVET Steering Committee. In 2018, 14 Caribbean countries participated in an online course on FMD Emergency Preparedness course which was delivered by the EUFMD commission.