The Importance of Strengthening the
Private Veterinary Sector and the
National Veterinary Statutory Bodies
(VSB).
Capacity building to support
strengthening of veterinary legislation
Dr Herbert SCHNEIDER
AGRIVET International Namibia
Chairman : OIE ad hoc Group on Veterinary Services
AGRIVET
OIE Global Conference on Veterinary
Legislation
Namibia
STRENGTHENING THE PRIVATE
VETERINARY SECTOR
Public – Private Veterinary Partnerships
There is an urgent need to forge closer
relationships and establish linkages between
the official and private veterinary sectors in
order to effectively and rapidly respond to
animal disease and zoonoses outbreaks.
2
AGRIVET
OIE Global Conference on Veterinary
Legislation
Namibia
STRENGTHENING THE PRIVATE
VETERINARY SECTOR
Public – Private Veterinary Partnerships
Such partnerships, as well as an increased role for
veterinary paraprofessionals (VPP’s) in surveillance,
early disease detection and monitoring and rapid
response actions calls for capacity building at all
levels, to meet the demands posed.
3
AGRIVET
OIE Global Conference on Veterinary
Legislation
Namibia
STRENGTHENING THE PRIVATE
VETERINARY SECTOR
Global Public Good
Animal health and veterinary services, being a global
good, require global initiatives and collective
international action to be able to implement global
animal disease (including zoonoses) eradication.
4
AGRIVET
STRENGTHENING THE PRIVATE
VETERINARY SECTOR
OIE Global Conference on Veterinary
Legislation
Namibia
One World – One Health Strategy
 The application of the “One World – One Health” strategy at





the animal-human interface will strengthen veterinary capacity
to meet this challenge. Today’s public demands pertain
specifically to societal needs such as
food safety and public health;
combating emerging or re-emerging diseases, especially
zoonoses with the necessary disease surveillance and
management of risks;
food security and animal production to address the ever
increasing states of human malnutrition and poverty;
safeguarding biodiversity and addressing environmental
management and sustainability; and
bio-security and meeting threats of bio-terrorism
5
AGRIVET
Namibia
STRENGTHENING THE PRIVATE
DEFINITIONS
TAHC
Definitions
VETERINARY SECTOR - DEFINITIONS
TAHC Definitions
 Veterinary Services
13.04.2015
“means the governmental and non-governmental
organisations that implement animal health and welfare
measures and other standards and recommendations in
the Terrestrial Code and the OIE Aquatic Animal Health
Code in the territory. The Veterinary Services are under
the overall control and direction of the Veterinary
Authority. Private sector organisations, veterinarians,
veterinary paraprofessionals or aquatic animal health
professionals are normally accredited or approved by the
Veterinary Authority to deliver the delegated functions.
6
AGRIVET
Namibia
STRENGTHENING
STRENGTHENINGTHE
THEPRIVATE
PRIVATE
DEFINITIONS
TAHC
Definitions
VETERINARY
VETERINARY
SECTOR
SECTOR
- DEFINITIONS
TAHC Definitions
 Veterinary Authority
13.04.2015
“means the Governmental Authority of an OIE Member,
comprising veterinarians, other professionals and paraprofessionals, having the responsibility and competence
for ensuring or supervising the implementation of animal
health and welfare measures, international veterinary
certification and other standards and recommendations in
the Terrestrial Code in the whole territory.
7
AGRIVET
Standards on the Quality of VS
Namibia
13.04.2015
TAHC STANDARDS ON THE QUALITY OF
VETERINARY SERVICES (VS)
 The quality of the Veterinary Services depends on a
set of factors, which include fundamental principles
of an ethical, organisational, legislative, regulatory
and technical nature. The Veterinary Services shall
conform to these fundamental principles,
regardless of the political, economic or social
situation of their country.
 Compliance with these fundamental principles by
the VS of an OIE Member is important to the
establishment and maintenance of confidence in its
international veterinary certificates by the VS of
other OIE Members
8
AGRIVET
The Veterinary Public – Private Linkages
Namibia
The Veterinary Public – Private Partnership
Public
Veterinary
Sector
Private
Veterinary
Sector
Animal
Disease Livestock
Owner Farmer Producer
Zoonosis
9
AGRIVET
Private Veterinary Sector
Namibia
STRENGTHENING THE PRIVATE
VETERINARY SECTOR
Veterinary Organizations / Associations
To successfully address and meet these challenges
it is important that veterinary associations /
organizations are established to organize veterinary
professionals, being in public and private service, in
a country in a representative and consultative forum.
This also applies to veterinary paraprofessionals
10
AGRIVET
STRENGTHENING THE PRIVATE
VETERINARY SECTOR
Namibia
Private Veterinary Sector
Veterinary Organizations / Associations
Main responsibilities focus on
 the formal representation of veterinary profession in




consultations and discussions;
the entering into formal recognition agreements;
supporting and promoting public-private veterinary
partnerships;
the quality performance of veterinary professional services
rendered; and
the provision of facilities/platforms for continuous
professional development (CPD).
Such professional organizations/associations should
operate within a legally defined constitutional
framework, based on e. g. democratic and transparent
administrative procedures, including nondiscriminatory membership provisions and financial
accountability.
11
AGRIVET
Namibia
STRENGTHENING THE PRIVATE
VETERINARY SECTOR
Private Veterinary Sector
Veterinary Organizations / Associations
In this context it is also considered important that VS build
formal links with individual private veterinarians and
veterinary para-professionals. Such links could take the
form of legal contracts for the provision of specific
services such as disease monitoring and surveillance,
animal vaccination, food inspection and disease
prevention and control. Such service contracts should be
within a common law framework, depending on the legal
system of the country in question.
An example of such formal linkage with private
veterinarians is the “Sanitary Mandate” in France.
12
AGRIVET
Private Veterinary Sector
Namibia
CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES
BYTHE PRIVATE VETERINARY SECTOR
The core elements of Good Veterinary Governance
are intimately linked to the universal acceptance of a
veterinary profession (and not an occupation) since
the introduction of formal veterinary education in
1761 (Lyon, France).
The definition of “profession” is thus the most
elementary legal concept pertaining to the veterinary
profession.
13
AGRIVET
Namibia
CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES
BYTHE PRIVATE VETERINARY SECTOR
Private Veterinary Sector
“Australian Code of Professional Conduct”
A profession is:
"A profession is a disciplined group of individuals who adhere to high
ethical standards and uphold themselves to, and are accepted by the
public as possessing special knowledge and skills in a widely
recognised body of learning derived from research, education and
training at a high level, and who are prepared to exercise this knowledge
and these skills in the interest of others.
It is inherent in the definition of a profession that a code of ethics governs
the activities of each profession. Such codes require behaviours and
practice beyond the personal moral obligations of an individual.
They define and demand high standards of behaviour in respect to the
services provided to the public and in dealing with professional
colleagues. Further, these codes are enforced by the profession and are
acknowledged and accepted by the community.”
14
AGRIVET
Namibia
CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES
BYTHE PRIVATE VETERINARY SECTOR
Private Veterinary Sector
“Code of Good Veterinary Practice” (GVP)
In order to address the demands for quality of
veterinarians in the private sector, veterinary professional
organisations have taken the lead to formulate protocols
and guidelines for quality management systems for
veterinary practices and clinics, based on a Code of Good
Veterinary Practice (GVP).
15
AGRIVET
Namibia
CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES
BYTHE PRIVATE VETERINARY SECTOR
Private Veterinary Sector
“Code of Good Veterinary Practice” (GVP)
Quality management systems are modern instruments of
the free-market system, reflecting the clients/consumers
needs for transparency and confidence regarding the
services provided meeting high levels of ethical behaviour
and professional competence.
However the concept is not new at all, as the latter was
already addressed circa 2700 years ago by King
Hammurabi of Babylon when he degreed under text 225 of
the Code of Hammurabi “ if (the veterinary surgeon)
performs a serious operation on an ass or ox, and kill it,
he shall pay the owner one-fourth of Its value”.
16
AGRIVET
Namibia
CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES
BYTHE PRIVATE VETERINARY SECTOR
Private Veterinary Sector
“Code of Good Veterinary Practice” (GVP)
Such Codes of GVP have been introduced, during the startup phases mostly on a voluntary basis, becoming
compulsory at a later stage, by national veterinary
organizations (e. g. the New Zealand Veterinary Council –
Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinarians) or have
been formulated on a regional level (e. g. by the Federation
of Veterinarians in Europe - FVE European Veterinary Code
of Conduct).
Such Codes of GVP have substantially contributed to GVG
in the private veterinary sector.
17
AGRIVET
OIE TAHC Standards
Namibia
The TAHC
The Quality of Veterinary Services
(VS) and thus Good Veterinary
Governance (GVG) depend on OIE
International Standards which are
available as and contained in the
Terrestrial Animal Health Code
(TAHC).
available at
http://www.oie.int/eng/normes/mcode/
en_sommaire.htm
 Chapter 3.1. – Veterinary Services
 Chapter 3.2. - Evaluation of Veterinary Services
13.04.2015
18
AGRIVET
Definitions
Namibia
13.04.2015
TheDefinitions
TAHC
TAHC
The most important single issue in dealing with
any of the previous mentioned activities relating to
the Quality of the VS in compliance with the TAHC,
is to define a veterinarian and a veterinary paraprofessional (VPP)
19
AGRIVET
Definitions
Namibia
13.04.2015
TheDefinitions
TAHC
TAHC
 Veterinarian
 means a person registered or licensed by the
relevant veterinary statutory body of a country to
practice veterinary medicine/science in that
country.
20
AGRIVET
Namibia
TheDefinitions
TAHC
TAHC
 Veterinary para-professional (VPP)
Definitions
 means a person who, for the purposes of the
13.04.2015
Terrestrial Code, is authorised by the veterinary
statutory body to carry out certain designated tasks
(dependent upon the category of veterinary paraprofessional) in a territory, and delegated to them
under the responsibility and direction of a
veterinarian. The tasks for each category of
veterinary para-professional should be defined by
the veterinary statutory body depending on
qualifications and training, and according to need.
21
AGRIVET
Namibia
TheDefinitions
TAHC
TAHC
 Veterinary para-professional (VPP)
Definitions
 The use of the term “para-veterinarian” or “para-
13.04.2015
vet” should be avoided and the term VPP be used
instead, as “para-vet” has a negative connotation
such as “pseudo-vet”; “quasi-vet” or “barefoot
vet”.
 Examples of veterinary para-professionals would
include veterinary nurses, veterinary technicians,
community-based animal health workers, food
inspectors, animal health technicians, livestock
inspectors etc..
22
AGRIVET
Namibia
TheDefinitions
TAHC
TAHC
Definitions
 Official veterinarians
13.04.2015
 defined in the OIE Code as “means a veterinarian
authorised by the Veterinary Authority of the
country to perform certain designated official tasks
associated with animal health and/or public health
and inspections of commodities and, when
appropriate, to certify in conformity with the
provisions of Chapters 5.1. and 5.2. of the
Terrestrial Code.”
23
AGRIVET
Namibia
The
VSB
TAHC
Definitions
Definitions
 Veterinary Statutory Body
13.04.2015
 means an autonomous authority regulating
veterinarians and veterinary paraprofessionals
24
AGRIVET
The VSB
The VSB Objectives and functions
Namibia
13.04.2015
Objectives and functions
are described in TAHC
Chapter 3.2
Article 3.2.12
Taking note of the OIE TAHC standards, the
establishment of a VSB in a country is
considered to be a necessity for the
profession AS A WHOLE.
25
AGRIVET
The VSB
Namibia
The authority of the VSB regarding licensing /
registration of veterinarians and veterinary paraprofessionals
registration or
licensing
VETERINARIAN
Public Official sector
Private
sector
VSB
define category of
veterinary paraprofessionals AND
define designated
tasks for each category
VETERINARY
PARAPROFESSIONAL
PublicOfficial sector
Private
sector
26
AGRIVET
Namibia
The VSB
VPP´s regulated by the VSB and their relationship
to veterinarians
authorised by the VETERINARY STATUTORY BODY to
carry out certain designated tasks (dependent upon the
category of veterinary para-professional) in a territory
Veterinary para-professional
and delegated to them under the responsibility
and direction of a
VETERINARIAN
27
AGRIVET
The VSB Objectives and functions
Namibia
The VSB : Objectives & Functions
to regulate veterinarians and veterinary paraprofessionals through licensing and/or registration of
such persons;
to determine the minimum standards of education
(initial and continuing) required for degrees, diplomas
and certificates entitling the holders thereof to be
registered as veterinarians and veterinary paraprofessionals;
to determine the standards of professional conduct
of veterinarians and veterinary para-professionals and
to ensure these standards are met.
13.04.2015
28
AGRIVET
The Veterinary Statutory Body
Namibia
The VSB
Chapter 3.2, article 3.2.12 of the TAHC deals specifically
with the evaluation of the VSB and defines the respective
standards
VSB´s have been in existence in many countries for
many years, with wide variations in legal basis;
autonomy; objectives; authority; functions and
responsibilities, composition; administrative procedures
etc.
However, in quiet a number of countries there is
no VSB at all.
13.04.2015
29
AGRIVET
VSB Terminology
Namibia
The VSB “Name”
Be it called a “Veterinary Council” or a
“Veterinary Board” or by any other name, the
establishment of a VSB in a given country
depends on the political/administrative systems
in place.
Hence it may be for example a national body or
it may be a state or provincial body with an
umbrella VSB at national/federal level,
depending the particularities of the VS in the
country.
13.04.2015
30
AGRIVET
VSB - Summary
Namibia
The Veterinary Statutory Body
In summary, a VSB






is established by law,
should be autonomous,
has a democratically elected membership
representing the whole spectrum of the
profession,
determines minimum standards of veterinary
education,
sets standards for professional performance and
ethical behavior and
licenses/registers veterinarians and VPP´s which
also implies the authority to withdraw such
licenses and de-register following breaches of
professional conduct or ethical behavior.
13.04.2015
31
AGRIVET
Namibia
Recommendations
Conclusion
Within the context of this Conference
on Veterinary Legislation it is
recommended that countries
1. provide enabling national legislation for the
establishment
of
an
autonomous
“Veterinary Statutory Body” with clearly
defined powers and objectives to regulate
the veterinary profession as a whole in
accordance with OIE standards as
contained and referred to in article 3.2.12 of
the TAHC
13.04.2015
32
AGRIVET
Conclusion
Namibia
Recommendations
2. clearly define “veterinarian” and “
veterinary para-professional” in such
legislation;
3. provide an enabling legislative
environment for the establishment of
private veterinary sector organizations
and their participation in all relevant
animal health activities of the country.
13.04.2015
33
AGRIVET
Namibia
It may be a long road ahead
– but dont despair – you will get there !
THANK YOU
34