With the signature of 3 agreements between OIE and FAO last month (February 2009), both organisations have taken a decisive step towards the consolidation of the 2 existing Regional Animal Health Centers (RAHC) for West and Central Africa (Bamako, Mali) and for Southern Africa (Gaborone, Botswana), as well as the set-up of the RAHC for North Africa (Tunis, Tunisia).
Where appropriate, this bilateral agreement, endorsed by the host countries, will be extended to a three-way Agreement with the African Union’s specialised Inter-african Bureau for Animal Resources (IBAR). The Centers act as a framework for the coordination and harmonisation of strategies for monitoring and evaluation of avian influenza control activities, as well as other transboundary animal diseases.
