Discussion Documents

Reflections on the Canadian Animal Health System

Farouk El Allaki DMV, PhD.
18 September 2007

• Presentation Outline
• Background
• Results
  • 1. Epidemiological Surveillance
  • 2. Diagnostic Services
  • 3. Risque Analysis
  • 4. Research and Development
  • 5. Animal Welfare
  • 6. Communication and Access to Information
• Conclusions

Presentation Outline

• Background
• Results:
  • Resources
  • Facts
  • Questions
• Conclusions

Background

• Canadian Animal Health System (CAHS) is non­described
• National Animal Health Strategy background
• Our reflections essentially concern:
  • Epidemiological surveillance
  • Diagnostic service
  • Risk analysis
  • Research and development
  • Animal welfare
  • Communication and information­sharing

Results

1. Epidemiological Surveillance

Ressources

• Canada has legislative tools and a multidisciplinary scientific expertise to monitor animal illness
• Canada has several surveillance programs
• Several animal identification methods in existence
• Surveillance in Canada is carried out in partnerships involving F/P/T governments, veterinarians, veterinary colleges, diagnostic laboratories, private sector, non­government organizations and the public.
• Surveillance activities vary from one jurisdiction to another but they have similar objectives to identify spatio-temporal trends relating to health problems

Facts

• Canada is a large country (9,984,670 km2)
  • Second largest surface area in the world after Russia
  • 18 times larger than France, 41 than the United Kingdom, 1.03 than the United States of America
  • Provinces: 60%
  • Territories: 40%
• Human population: 32,852,849 (April 2007)
  • 50% live in the four major urban areas: South Central Ontario (Golden Horseshoe), Montréal, Lower Mainland and Southern Vancouver Island
  • 0.31% live in the territories
  • Canada: 3.2 inhabitants/km2
• Number of veterinarians (2007):
  • United Kingdom approx. 22,162 (1 vet/11 km2)
  • France approx. 12,386 (1 vet/44 km2)
  • United States approx. 65,000 (1 vet/148 km2)
  • Canada approx. 10,138 (1 vet/984 km2) (Territories:16 veterinarians)

Question

• Emerging and reemerging diseases worry almost all the working groups.
  
  Considering the size of our country and the limits of our veterinary capacities, do you think that Canada should equip itself with a surveillance system that focus on prevention rather than on the detection of specific diseases?

2. Diagnostic Services

Resources

• Ability to diagnose all animal illnesses;
• Government and non­government laboratories provide specialized analysis and research services, and provide a high­level scientific expertise;
• Canada has 20 OIE reference laboratories;
• Partnerships between federal/provincial/university laboratories
• Government/university, Government/industry type partnerships: lab financing
• Main sources of veterinary diagnoses: vary from one province to another

Facts

• No laboratory in the north: Use laboratories abroad or in another province
• Concentration of FAD testing and expertise in a single laboratory
• Winnipeg: Home to Canada’s only level­4 containment laboratory, where it is possible to work with agents responsible for the most serious human and animal illnesses.

Questions

• Considering that rapid response is necessary when an incursion of exotic animal diseases happen and considering that our country is large, do you think that we should strive to decentralize the expertise and infrastructure we have related to the diagnosis of exotic animal diseases?

3. Risque Analysis

Ressources

• Several jurisdictions have animal health risk analysis procedures and methodologies in place.
• Sharing of expertise between jurisdictions
• Universities and the private sector have expertise in the risk analysis area

Fact: Animal Density

Question

• Do you think that managing our land could contribute to managing animal health risks, and therefore, should be a priority Canada's future animal health system?

4. Research and Development

• Resources
  • Internationally renowned government/university expertise/infrastructures
  • Partnership between the private/public sectors and universities
• Facts
  • Funding sources (2006)
    • Commercial business: 48%
    • Federal government: 18%
    • Provincial government: 6%
    • Educational institution: 16%
    • Foreign: 9%
    • Non-profit organization: 3%
  • Not enough specialists/researchers in some disciplines (in 2007, shortage of 336 veterinary pathologists in Canada and the United States)

Question

• Research and development is a priority important to all working groups.
  
  Do you think that Canada should use centralized coordination mechanisms to plan and organize research in animal health?

5. Animal Welfare

Resources

• Federal legislation:
  • Humane transportation of all animals
  • Humane handling and slaughter of food animals
  • Prevention of cruelty to animals
• Provincial and territorial legislation:
  • Each province and territory has its own legislation on animal protection, some of which have specific regulations for certain animal species
• Canadian non­government organizations

Facts

• Animal transportation:
  • A large number of animals arrive at the slaughterhouse dead or dying
  • Animal transportation: > 72 hrs
  • Long distances from the farm to the slaughterhouse (e.g.: bovine, poultry)

Question

• Do you believe an increase in the number of slaughterhouses will help improve the welfare of livestock?

6. Communication and Access to Information

Resources

• Emergency situation: formal communication networks
• Normal situation: formal and informal communication networks
• Legislative tools: Access to Information Act and Privacy Act

Fact

• Very limited access to surveillance data from the private sector
• Absence of a national exchange of data on zoonotic illness between public health and animal welfare authorities

Question

Do you think that Canada should re-examine its legislation pertaining to access to the information and the protection of privacy in order to allow a more efficient information flow among the various players involved in Canada's surveillance, emergency and detection systems?

Conclusions

• Canada has several resources
• Some findings lead us to reflect on the efficiency of the current system
• Planning for the future, capacity building and increased partnerships are essential to coping with the dangers new and emerging disease