Workshop June 2007

National Animal Health Strategy (NAHS)
Multi-partner Workshop

June 5-6, 2007

June 2007 Workshop Summary Report

Part 1: Workshop Context

The NAHS aims to ensure public security, prosperity and sustained public confidence by integrating and aligning all the principles, policies and approaches that guide public and private sector decisions on animal health and animal welfare risk management. The strategy will address the full spectrum of animal populations, including farmed animals (food and non-food), wildlife, companion animals, animals in zoos and aquariums, and animals used for science/research, and their intersection with human and ecosystem health. The strategy will emphasize prevention, promote capacity building for early detection of disease, and align with international efforts.

NAHS Development Process

The NAHS development process is based on a consultative and collaborative approach with all levels of government, industry, and stakeholders. The current workshop's focus is to define the elements of Canada's animal health system, its components, players, and roles.

Three more multi-partner workshops are planned to explore issues toward the publishing of a Strategy in late 2008:

• September 2007 – focus on defining the scope of the Strategy (i.e. what will it include, what will it exclude, and why)
• January 2008 – define issues to be addressed by the Strategy and formulate strategic objectives
• April 2008 – reconcile the proposed objectives and formulate strategic actions to meet those objectives.

An additional workshop will be held in late 2008, to define implementation plans and performance measures related to each strategic action proposed in the Strategy.  Further articulation of specific short-, medium- and long-term action plans will be published for the end of 2008.

A website (www.healthyanimals.ca) will be available for partners to share information, provide ideas, comments and feedback and support collaboration throughout the NAHS development process.

Model of Canada's Animal Health System

Canada’s animal health system is made up of a series of interconnected value chains.  Value chains represent activities linked to the value (the social, economic and/or cultural importance) of an animal from its source to its final disposal, and they identify the components of Canada’s animal health system, the people involved and the roles they play.

Value chains are composed of steps (see Figure 1 - Generic Value Chain model). Each step can be divided into groups of activities. For example, “breeding” could include activities related to the production of semen, embryos, or individual animals, and may also include artificial insemination, embryo transfer, gestation, incubation, etc. 

Each activity is performed by partners, for example, "breeding" may involve veterinarians, laboratory technicians, insemination centre personnel, animal caretakers and many others. 

Value chains also include products/conditions required to ensure the animal welfare, such as feed, housing, and veterinary products. 

Each value chain may link to other value chains.  For example, the wildlife value chain may provide the animal source for the farmed animal value chain.

Figure 1 - Generic Value Chain Model [D]