Setting national animal health policy priorities

1
Setting national animal health policy priorities

• The Animal Health Policy Conference
• Beijing, China
• February 20-21, 2008
• Dr. Gordon Dittberner
• Agriteam Canada

2
Presentation Outline

• Introduction
• Setting priorities in the past
• What has changed
• Current and future trends on how priorities will
  be determined
• Conclusion

3
Introduction

• The complexity of setting priorities arises
  because there are so many different interest
  groups involved, each with their own priority
  perspective, often resulting in conflicting
  actions and ineffective program implementation.

4
Questions for setting the NAHP priorities

• Why should we set them
• Who should set them
• What principles should be applied to determine
  priorities
• Where should the priorities be applied
• When should they be set
• How should they be set, implemented and evaluated

5
Setting animal health priorities in the past

• National governments frequently assumed the lead
  and set priorities in isolation and as they saw
  fit.
• The objectives for animal health were to ensure a
  supply of animals for labor and food.

6
Setting animal health priorities in the past
(contd)

• If a governments priority was cheap food, then
  animal health regulatory restrictions were
  relaxed to achieve the objective.
• Conversely, if the priority was for safe food,
  then burdensome restrictions were imposed, often
  with significant economic consequences

7
New influences on animal healthpolicy priorities

• Very large national and international
  agricultural businesses and their competitive
  marketing practices are driving changes in policy
  priorities.
• Consumer demands for lower prices and higher food
  safety standards
• International trade agreements , some with animal
  welfare considerations

8
New influences on animal healthpolicy priorities
(contd)

• Greater mobility of people and agricultural goods
  increases the risk of existing and new zoonotic
  diseases being spread
• Limitations of resources - money, trained
  personnel, equipment, and information (disease
  epidemiological data)
• Increased concern for the environment and global
  warming

9
Current and future trends for setting animal
health policies and priorities

• Governments are recognized as the regulatory
  authority for animal health, butthe typical
  modern approach is to involve all key animal
  health stakeholders in a consultative process to
  collectively agree on a long term national animal
  health strategy to reach a future ideal animal
  health system.
• In this way, everyone is pulling in the same
  direction to achieve a common goal.

10
The steps involved in the consultative process

• Identify the key national stakeholders and invite
  them to participate
• Convene consultative meetings involving all the
  stakeholder representatives
• The consultative group needs to identify and
  agree on their vision for the ideal future animal
  health system

11
The steps involved in the consultative process
(contd)

• Agree on the broad objectives for the ideal
  animal health system
• Identify and agree on the constraints, or
  barriers to achieving the vision
• Define the guiding principles for the animal
  health system
• Develop a multi-year action plan with specific
  interim goals

12
The steps involved in the consultative process
(contd)

• Ensure that, when the plan is created, it is
  published and made widely accessible
• Monitor the process to ensure that the policies
  developed are based upon the multi-year plans,
  and that policy priorities are assigned
• Ensure that the priority hierarchy is consistent
  with the established fundamental objectives

13
Key stakeholder groups include

• national and provincial departments of
  agriculture, health, and environment
• national veterinary association
• national association of veterinary universities
• national associations for all livestock groups
• national associations for other farmed animal
  species (bees, fur-bearing (such as mink),
  aquatic, exotic (such as elk, llamas)
• national wildlife associations

14
Key stakeholder groups (contd)

• national animal welfare associations
• national consumers association
• national associations for companion animals
• national associations for animal feeds, animal
  drugs, breeding stock (embryo/ semen)
• national animal product manufacturers (meat,
  dairy, poultry, eggs, etc)
• import-export associations

15
Fundamental objectives for animal health

• Recognize the primacy of human health
• Promote the health, productivity, and welfare of
  animals
• Promote food security for the citizens and the
  economic health of the country
• Ensure environmental sustainability

16
Guiding principles

• Science-based decisions on policy issues (e.g.
  risk analysis and mathematical modeling)
• Encourage excellence in animal health and
  veterinary public health education
• Inter-disciplinary team approach with other
  professional groups

17
Guiding principles (contd)

• Develop integrated diagnostic networks and adopt
  innovative technologies (e.g. genomics)
• Adopt open and transparent communication channels
• Recognize societal concerns for fairness and
  equality

18
Conclusion

• The essence of an effective national animal
  health system is broad stakeholder agreement on
  the direction and overall animal health strategy.
• The essence of an effective animal health program
  is a clearly defined hierarchy of policy
  priorities.

19
Conclusion (contd)

• The path and process to develop a national animal
  health strategy and hierarchy of policy
  priorities is neither simple nor quick, but it is
  the route that Canada and other major
  industrialized countries are taking.
• Thank You!