MAJOR ACTIVITIES OF THE WHO/MZCP FOR THE BILENNIUM 2002-2003

A. INTERNATIONAL TRAINING ACTIVITIES

A.1 TRAINING COURSE ON EMERGING AND RE-EMERGING ZOONOTIC DISEASES INTERSECTORAL SURVEILLANCE AND CONTROL

Goal	to provide knowledge & skills for the application of an intersectoral surveillance system in the prevention & control of zoonotic & related foodborne diseases.
Specific Objective	to provide the general principles of planning, implementation, evaluation & monitoring of zoonotic & related foodborne diseases surveillance, prevention & control programmes.
Learning Objectives	to be able to plan an intersectoral surveillance & control system on the emerging and re-emerging zoonotic &related foodborne diseases; - to be able to manage the national surveillance & control system; - to identify &use the appropriate analytical methods & techniques for prioritizing actions in the field of controlling emerging & re-emerging zoonotic & foodborne diseases; to know & apply the basic principles & methods for case/outbreak investigation; to be able to produce an informative & clear report to be used in public health education.
Time Period and Hosting Country	24-29 June 2002, Beirut, Lebanon

A.2 ADVANCED TRAINING COURSE ON HAZARD ANALYSIS CRITICAL CONTROL POINTS SYSTEMS (HACCP): CONCEPTS, APPLICATIONS, VERIFICATIONS & AUDIT

Learning Objectives	to refresh knowledge on HACCP principles, practices and applications in the production and processing of food of animal origin; to provide knowledge and skills on designing, drafting and implementing of HACCP operating procedures; to provide knowledge on HACCP systems' verification and auditing.
Time Period and Hosting Country	24 February-1 March 2003, Athens, Greece

B. NATIONAL TRAINING ACTIVITIES

B.2. National Training Course on Intersectoral Brucellosis Epidemiological Surveillance 13-17 October 2002, Damascus, Syria

B.3. National Training Course on Brucellosis Epidemiological Surveillance and Diagnosis in Animal Population under Vaccination 31 March - 4 April 2003, Kuwait, State of Kuwait

B.4. National Training Course on Salmonellosis' and Zoonotic Foodborne Diseases' Intersectoral Epidemiological Surveillance, 2-7 November 2003, Beirut, Lebanon

B.5. National Upgraded Training Course on Intersectoral Brucellosis Epidemiological Surveillance, 6-10 October 2003, Pendik, Istanbul, Turkey

C. INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Objectives of the Seminar:

• To provide updated knowledge and discuss the advantages and inconveniences of the diagnostic and disease control methodologies in human and animal brucellosis

• To deal with the theoretical aspects of brucellosis

• To provide practical demonstrations and practice in the human and animal brucellosis laboratory diagnosis procedures.

C.2. WHO/MZCP CONSULTATION ON FOOD SAFETY REGULATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE OF ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS (with the participation of WHO/HQs, WHO/EMRO, FAO, O.I.E. EU, WTO, Codex Alimentarius Commission)

Goal:	to acquaint on the Public Health requirements for Food Safety and Bio-Security in the International Trade.
Objective:	to provide support to Member Countries for upgrading hygiene and quality control in food production to meet international standards.
Time period & Hosting Country	2nd Quarter 2003, Athens, Greece

C.3. BALKAN AND BLACK SEA VETERINARY ASSOCIATION (BaBSeVa)

Members of this Association are, among others, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey, which at the same time are MZCP Members.

BaBSeVa requested the MZCP contribution for:

• One (1) facilitator specialised in training methodologies and co-ordination, for one day. A relevant Workshop will be held by the Association in Tunis, Tunisia, in parallel with the World Veterinary Congress in September 2002.

• Two (2) facilitators, specialised in Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Systems to contribute in a two (2) days Workshop to be held in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in 2003, where the Association will held its General Assembly.

The BaBSeVa explains in a letter the absolute importance for its Member Countries to hold these activities and the significance to bring them closer to the activities of the MZCP.

The claim was accepted and the first MZCP contribution has been implemented.

C.4. WORKSHOP ON THE STANDARDIZATION AND HARMONISATION OF LEISHMANIA CULTURAL AND ISOLATION TECHNIQUES (Joint activity with the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale of Palermo, Sicily, Italy)

The above-mentioned Institute is the co-ordinator of a nation-wide project, among ten similar Italian Institutes, for the evaluation and possible standardization of the laboratory diagnosis procedures for leishmaniasis.

The Palermo Institute requested by the MZCC to contact its Member Countries for participation at a two-day final meeting for the presentation and evaluation of the results obtained after the conclusion of the research expected for the end of 2002. The Workshop will be held during the second biennium of 2003.

All expenses (travel and full board accommodation) will be covered by the local organizers. The MZCP will be charged 20% per diem only of its representatives.

C.5. VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIVITIES IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

In collaboration with (a) European Centre for Disaster Medicine, Republic of San Marino, and (b) WHO/FAO-Collaborating Centre on Veterinary Public Health Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome, Italy.

Activities ad hoc