International organisations and animal health

Trade in animals and food

A number of international intergovernmental organisations rely on epidemiologic principles in the investigation of health and disease in animal and human populations. These are predominantly associated with the control of animal and human health, in the context of international trade. The Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the SPS agreement), developed by the World Trade Organisation WTO in 1995 set various requirements regarding to animal disease control for countries entering into the international trade of animals, food and plants. The World Organisation for Animal Health (the OIE) is responsible for the monitoring of animal disease worldwide. As well as developing sanitary rules for international trade, the OIE are responsible for the collection and dissemination of animal disease data. Two institutions of the United Nations are also closely linked with the SPS agreement: the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). Both of these are responsible for the protection of human health, and therefore ensure the safety of traded food items for humans. The '''Codex Alimentarius''' is produced by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and covers standards, guidelines and recommendations for food safety.

Food security issues

The WHO is responsible for the coordination of public health issues - which, in the case of animal diseases, will relate to zoonotic disease (pathogens which can transmit from animals to humans). The FAO is responsible for