PrintLims Sub Committees LTC Workshops Meetings of the Sub Committee on Epidemiology and Informatics EIS Meeting EIS Maputo 12 to 14 October, 2009
The SADC Epidemiology and Informatics Sub Committee (EIS) is a committee made up of veterinarians in charge of Veterinary Epidemiology Units in the SADC region.
The sub-committee is one of the four subcommittees of the Livestock Technical Committee (LTC) and is charged with the responsibility of harmonizing disease surveillance and control programmes in the SADC region. In carrying out this mandate the sub-committee performs the following activities;
The EIS meets twice a year to carry out its mandate and to review reports from member states (MS) and other collaborating institutions. In the 2nd meeting of 2009 held on 12-14 October 2009, in Maputo, Mozambique, major topics were discussed and resolutions were drawn.
Resolutions
The Sub-committee noted the improvements in the OIE information system (WAHIS) and recognize that the WAHIS immediate notifications system provides more transparency amongst member states. Since the region does not have a regional immediate notification system, the EIS resolves to use OIE immediate notification report system more. However there is need for SADC to incorporate the immediate notification report format in their Disease information system in the near future.
The subcommittee noted that most members states are not reporting using the LIMS format files and resolved that countries should make an effort to report using the system as agreed in previous meetings. However, where countries experience difficulties with the LIMS application, they should continue to report timely using the agreed Excel format.
The subcommittee noted that few reports were submitted during the current reporting period to SADC Secretariat and resolved that each Members State must submit all outstanding reports by 21 October 2009 to ensure their inclusion inn the report to be submitted to the LTC in November 2009.
Regarding the current disease status in the region, it was observed that rabies continued to be reported as the most prevalent disease within the region. The subcommittee resolved that the disease should be considered as one of the most important TADs and that countries should develop effective strategies for the surveillance and control of the disease including provision of adequate funding for vaccination.
The subcommittee noted and endorsed the rabies project proposal entitled “building capacity and transfer technology for the surveillance and the control of rabies in the SADC region” developed and presented by the Instituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSV).
The subcommittee resolved that countries come up specific gaps in the control of rabies for presentation at the forthcoming EIS meeting whose main theme will be rabies.
As regards the management of FMD vaccination campaigns, the EIS noted that in most MS vaccination campaigns are not well planned and organized and therefore resolved that monitoring and evaluation be part of the vaccination campaigns. Furthermore, there is need for EIS to develop guidelines and protocols in order to improve management of vaccination campaigns.
As regard FMD post vaccination monitoring, the subcommittee noted the draft protocol developed and presented by Namibia. The subcommittee further resolved to present results of post vaccination seromonitoring undertaken in some member countries with a view to harmonising the protocol.
The subcommittee noted and recognises the importance and the success of using working groups, such as the AI-TWG, for specific epidemio-surveillance activities. The EIS resolved to continue using such working groups in the future to address epidemiosurveillance issues in the region.
The meeting noted the need for the EIS and Lab SC to undertake joint activities or projects and therefore resolved to identify critical disease surveillance issues that can be addressed by both subcommittees.
The subcommittee noted the surveillance guidelines on HPAI and their practical use in some member states and resolved that the results of the surveillance carried out in member countries be presented at the next EIS meeting in order to guide future surveillance activities.
Recommendation
With regard to the surveillance in aquatic and wildlife diseases, the EIS noted that there is no further developments in most member countries due to the lack of capacity in the veterinary departments and recommend that capacity in this field within the veterinary departments be strengthened by each member state.
The subcommittee noted that member states lack capacity within vet departments to conduct audits of disease surveillance and control programmes and therefore recommend that capacity be developed in this field by each member state.
The sub-committee noted that the SADC TADs project has been mandated by SADC secretariat (FANR) to undertake LIMS operations in the interim period. However, the subcommittee recommends that a sustainable mechanism be found to maintain LIMS.
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