OIE’s participation at the International Pledging Conference on Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza Beijing 17-18 January 2006

The Global Influenza Meeting jointly held in Geneva by WHO/FAO/OIE/WORLD BANK in November 2005 identified the strategies and the resources needed to control avian influenza in animals and simultaneously limit the threat of a human influenza pandemic . The International Pledging Conference on Avian and Human Pandemic Influenza to be held on 17-18 January 2006 in Beijing aims at setting up financial commitments and appropriate mechanisms for all potential donors to assist the international community in addressing the socioeconomic, animal and human health challenges posed by avian influenza.

The Director General of the OIE, Dr Bernard Vallat, will participate to the Beijing meeting and will present two strategic contributions, one about a new tool allowing internal and/or external evaluations of Veterinary Services to verify their compliance with OIE standards on quality ( PVS ) for the prevention or the efficient control of animal diseases, and a second one which will be presented together with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on the good governance needed to address emerging and re-emerging animal disease threats .

Both these documents are key elements in the fight against Avian Influenza at its animal source worldwide.