The OIE has organised the first training course for evaluators of Veterinary Services, with the aim of assisting OIE Member Countries seeking to bring their Veterinary Services into line with international standards on quality. This action falls within the scope of the OIE's objective relating to the worldwide improvement of governance so as to achieve better animal health.

Twenty high level experts drawn from all five continents spent a week and a half developing, with the support of the OIE and its Collaborating Centre (ENSV Lyon), a reference tool for evaluation, based on the normative provisions already adopted by the Member Countries of the OIE on the quality of National Veterinary Services.

At the end of the training course, these experts were accredited by the OIE to conduct evaluation and support missions to enable Member Countries seeking international funding to develop investment programmes for submission to the World Bank and the other donor agencies that, at the Beijing Conference in January 2006, pledged financial support to control avian influenza at its source in animals.

The reference tool for the evaluation and support of the Veterinary Services is called 'Performance, Vision and Strategy' (PVS). It will be regularly updated and presented each year for validation at the General Session of OIE Member Countries.

A second training course is due to be held at the OIE from 10 to 13 July 2006 . This will increase the number of accredited experts available to Member Countries and donor agencies under the auspices of the OIE to help bring the veterinary services of developing and transition countries into line with international standards.