The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have been jointly recognised as an OIE Collaborating Centre in Risk Analysis & Modelling. The designation took place in Paris between 26-31 May 2019 at the 87th General Session of the World Assembly of National Delegates of the OIE, the intergovernmental organisation responsible for improving animal health worldwide.
OIE Collaborating Centres are centres of expertise in a specific designated sphere of competence relating to the management of general questions on animal health issues. Building on the global network of over 55 centres covering 49 topics, the new RVC and APHA Collaborating Centre will support the management of animal health issues internationally by providing expertise in Risk Analysis and Modelling for a fixed five-year term in the first instance.
As part of this, RVC and APHA will provide expert support and services to the OIE and the implementation of its policies, as well as developing various methods, procedures and studies in collaboration with other centres, laboratories and organisations. The Centre will utilise expertise from RVC’s Veterinary Epidemiology Economics and Public Health (VEEPH) group, as well as APHA’s Department of Epidemiological Sciences (DES) and elsewhere within the agency.
The nomination as a collaborating centre is a recognition of the ability, capacity and readiness of RVC and APHA to provide services, their scientific and technical expertise at both national and international levels, conformity with OIE and international standards, as well as technical and geographical relevance of their activities to OIE’s programme priorities.
Dr Kath Webster, Director of Scientific Services at the APHA, said: “APHA has a long history of working with the OIE to promote animal and public health. We are delighted to be working with the RVC and fostering scientific collaborations internationally in this important area.”