Prague, 18 November 1999

 

 

 

Dr Jean B l a n c o u

Director General

International Office of Epizootics (OIE)

12, Rue de Prony

75017  P a r i s  XVII

F R A N C E

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Re: International trade and diseases spreading

 

 

 

Dear Dr Blancou,

 

   I have been reading about the dispute between United Kingdom and France regarding the import from BSE affected territory. I fully agree with the position of France authorities which are responsible for the protection of health of its human and animal populations. These authorities (such as Chief Veterinary Officer) must have not only the duties but also the right to decide about the import and nobody else who is not responsible for country population protection. This case clearly confirms my concerns regarding international trade facilitating diseases spreading, imperfect international information system and risk assessment methodology which I expressed several times in my previous letters.

 

  The above mentioned case and many others have proved that the "WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures" has nothing to do with fair trade due to gross discrimination of importing countries !!!. This document has created legal basis for animal disease spreading through the trade as never before. It should be abolished or at least revised and completely rewritten giving the priority to strengthened protection against diseases spreading.  WTO General Conference is behind the door. OIE as World Organization for Animal Health is the right organization to initiate this step.

 

  As follow-up of the above mentioned WTO document, the OIE Code, which has always been the recommendations only based upon member countries consensus (not the outcome of scientific research !), was converted into obligatory international regulations. On the other hand the importing countries are pushed to justified "scientifically" the refusal of the commodity which they do not want !

 

   As I remember the policy of international veterinary organizations was always to avoid diseases spreading and not to admit their spreading.

 

   OIE information about diseases occurrence necessary for importing country decision-making was significantly reduced instead to provide more data. Symbols about the grades of disease occurrence were reduced to "+". The numeric data about the incidence are usually incomplete. I would like to mention one example from recently published "Dictionary of Veterinary Epidemiology" on page 147: "It is assumed, that for every case of salmonellosis recorded in humans in the United States at least nine are not reported." This is the reality in human diseases reporting and what about animal diseases reporting. How to assess the risk ? Some exporting countries try to use mathematical models to demonstrate theoretically that the risk is minimum or zero. But the reality is very often different.

 

   General tendency in international trade is to increase the quality requirements. Trade in animals and their products must not be the exception. Trade should be facilitated by improving animal population health quality in exporting countries through disease reduction and eradication and not by imposing upon importing countries the "duty" to reduce the protection barriers against diseases introduction. Not speaking about the tendency to reduce (due to "economic reasons") government veterinary services and their control/inspection role in field, laboratory and trade  instead to strengthen it.

 

  I would like you to understand my concern about the future animal health situation in the world. The situation has become critical. We have to avoid this kind of ecological disaster.

 

  No to globalization of diseases, yes to globalization of health !

 

   Therefore, I would like to suggest to consider all my well meant comments and suggestions I have send to you.

 

   I am attaching a text about "Risk of zoonoses spread through export and import" which could be of your interest.

 

 

 

 

             Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

 

                           Prof. Dr Vaclav  K o u b a, DrSc.

 

                                    P.B. 516

                                    17000 Prague 7

                                    Czech Republic     

 

 

 

Annex: 3 pages  

 

     

 

 

V.K.