Veterinary services - situation update

Dr Elias IBRAHIM

Animal Resources Director, CVO

11th Joint Permanent Committee (JPC) of REMESA

Algiers (Algeria), 24 - 25 November 2015

REPUBLIC OF LEBANON MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE ANIMAL RESOURCES DIRECTORATE

Introduction

Organogram of the veterinary services

Country perspective ( animal and human health)

Food safety system in Lebanon

Animal Health (control and surveillance)

Perspectives and Conclusion

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3

Introduction

Lebanon is located in the Near

East region at the eastern

coast of the Mediterranean

Sea

Total land area: 10452 Km2

Population: 4 million

Services sector: >75% of the GDP

Industrial sector: 12%

Agriculture sector: 12%

VETERINARY SERVICES

Organogram

Director of Animal Resources

Animal Health Services

Import/Export Quarantine Services

Animal Production Services

Marketing and Production

Control Services

Minister of Agriculture

Director General

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Competencies of the Animal Resources

Directorate (VS/ MOA)

Elaboration of regulations

Control at farm level

Control of Animal feed industry

Surveillance and control of animal diseases

Registration and control of veterinary drugs

Control of slaughterhouses

Control of zoonosis in collaboration with the MoPH

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Competencies of the Animal Resources Directorate (continue)

Contributing to the national agency of norms and standards (LIBNOR)

Inspection of food industry and food of animal origin in the local market

Laying down the conditions for sanitary approval of establishments

Control at borders check points (import/export):

Animals and products of animal origin (80% of local consumption)

o Physical and documentary inspection

o Sample analysis

o clearance

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Livestock Population

Species Heads

(x 1000)

Cattle 77

Sheep 337

Goats 495

Pigs 20

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Import

Product Tons

Meat (chilled/frozen) 28000~32000

Live cattle for slaughtering 200000~240000 heads

Live sheep for slaughtering 100000~140000 heads

Milk products 55000~60000

Poultry meat 9000~13000

Total (all categories) 230000~260000

Food Safety System

Legal and Institutional Frameworks (1)

Based on OIE, Codex and EU recommendations, standards and requirements, national regulations and laws, regulatory decisions were issued/updated since year 2010.

Main objectives: Organization at all levels of the food chain (primary production, processing, transportation, storage) and the assurance that safe food is distributed in the local market or exported.

Main requirements: applying sanitary and health conditions standards, organization, registration and approval, records keeping, traceability and labeling (where applicable).

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Legal and Institutional Frameworks (2)

Written inspection procedures issued for official

inspection.

Updated manuals (inspection checklists,

guidelines).

Technical staff recruited (agricultural engineers,

veterinarians, agricultural technicians).

Several trainings conducted for official inspectors

on PRPs, HACCP and inspection techniques.

Necessary inspection tools procured.

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Legal and Institutional Frameworks(3)

Main regulations (1)

At farm level:

Decision N. 529/1 of June 4, 2011: Registration and requirements for

dairy cattle farms.

Veterinary drugs:

Decision N. 121/1 of January 27, 2011: Organization of registering,

importing, manufacturing and dealing with medicinal and veterinary

products and veterinary antiseptics, disinfectants and raw materials and

feed additives.

Transportation:

Decision N. 821/1 of December 3, 2010: Health conditions of

transportation vehicles of raw milk and milk products.

Decision N. 951/1 of October 26,2011: Health conditions of

transportation vehicles of fresh carcasses, chilled and frozen meat.

Decision N. 952/1 of October 26, 2012: Health conditions of

transportation vehicles of fresh, chilled and frozen fish.

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Legal and Institutional Frameworks(4)

Main regulations (2)

Slaughterhouses:

Decision N. 949 of October 26, 2011: Technical and health requirements for registration of slaughterhouses.

Processing:

Decision N. 897/1 of September 2012: Sanitary and approval requirements of food of animal origin industries.

Decision N. 822 of December 3, 2010: Sanitary and approval requirements of dairy industries.

Warehouses:

Decision N. 540 of June 15, 2012: Requirements and registration of warehouses of food products of animal origin.

Labeling:

Decision N. 1034 of November 21, 2011 and N. 539 of June 15, 2012:

Organizing packaging and placing on the market of dairy products

(labeling requirements).

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Legal and Institutional Frameworks(5)

Main regulations (3)

Import/Export

Decision N. 828 of December 8, 2010: Import conditions for meat

products.

Decision N. 829 of December 8, 2010: Import conditions for live animals.

Decisions N. 498 of September 21, 2010 and N. 202 of February 19,

2011: Import conditions for powdered, concentrated and liquid UHT milk.

Decision N. 720 of August 8, 2011: Import conditions for prepared and

processed food products of animal origin.

Decision N. 964 of October 26, 2011: Import conditions for chilled and

frozen fishery products.

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Animal Diseases Control

Establishing control strategy for main animal diseases

(general and target surveillance, vaccination).

FMD - Comprehensive plan with consideration to epidemiology and to

socio-economic impact on stakeholders includes:

Structure of livestock production.

FMD incidence (identification of hot spots area).

Transmission Pathway.

Socio-economic impacts.

Registration of farms and production firms.

Identification of animals.

Departmental control.

Sampling and testing.

Vaccination program.

Animal Diseases Control

Free of charge services:

o Vaccination (yearly program) against

brucellosis in cattle, sheep and goat, FMD,

PPR, SHEEP AND GOAT POX, LSD,

o Distribution veterinary medicaments

(against ekto/endo parasites) for small

farmers,

o Distribution of disinfectants etc….

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Control & Measures at Farm Level

Registration of farms and farmers at the

MOA/ARD

o Laying down conditions for registration

Identification of dairy cattle

Extension programs for dairy farmers (Farm

management- animal nutrition- hygiene-

prevention of diseases…)

Annual plan of vaccination in Lebanon remarks

De

c.

No

v.

Octo

be

r

Se

pt.

August

July

Ju

ne

Ma

y A

pril

Ma

rs F

eb

. J

an

.

vaccines

voluntary x x x x x ENTEROTOXEMIE

Obligatory

twice a

year

x x x x

FMD A/IRAN/05

O (panasia 2) ASIA 1

voluntary BRUCELLA (REV1,

S19)

obligatory x x x

SHEEP and GOAT

POX RM65

obligatory x x x PPR

Strain NIG 75/1

Last

vaccination

in 2014

x

x

x

x

Lumpy Skin Disease

RM 65

(104)

19

year strain locality Sample to

2007 A Iran 2005 Bekaa Pelbright - UK

2008 No case No case

2009

O PanAsia 2 South

Lebanon

Bekaa

Vladimir-Russia

2010 A Iran 2005 Bekaa

2011 (LAST

OCCURRENCE)

No case No case

INCIDENCE OF FMD

CURRENT ANIMAL HEALTH SITUATION AND CONTROL

MEASURES AT THE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL LEVEL

No outbreaks of FMD, PPR, and LSD in Lebanon despite the Syrian

crisis

No accurate information about the health situation in the neighboring

country (Syria) due to the long military conflict

Reinforced control on transhumance movement of live animals

along common border

Vaccination all new illegally introduced animals despite the origin,

Storing of FMD data and Lab results.

Sharing information with neighboring (Syria and Jordan) and

regional countries (OIE Regional Commission for the Middle East),

and exporting countries.

Risk hot spots identified.

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Perspectives and Conclusion

Lebanon fulfilled requirements for FMD PCP Pathway

stage I and continuing its surveillance plan to reach

stage II and stage III at least for 2015.

Develop a national strategy for the control and

eradication of FMD and PPR (final stage)

Develop and implement a Traceability system.

THANK YOU