BSE/vCJD – PUBLIC HEALTH AND TRADE

BSE/vCJD – PUBLIC HEALTH AND TRADE

AN INTERNATIONAL JOINT MEETING OF THE WHO, FAO AND OIE

The BSE crisis in EU countries has wide global implications for both human and animal health and international trade. Mounting concern has thrown up a series of key questions that will soon need to be answered : ‘what is safe to eat?’; ‘is enough being done to protect human populations from BSE?’; how can spread of BSE to other countries be prevented?’; ‘what can scientists do to improve communication about the risks from BSE? ’

To address those questions WHO, FAO and OIE will hold a meeting in Paris on 11-14 June 2001, at OIE Headquarters. More specifically, the meeting will thrash out approaches to disease prevention and policy recommendations:

To protect human populations from vCJD
To protect livestock populations from BSE, and
To prevent the global spread of BSE and vCJD through appropriate international, regional and national actions

Participants in the meeting will include subject specialists, NGOs, representative of stakeholder organizations, consumer associations, other international organizations, participants from developing countries, and national health and food authorities.