International Conference on Animal Health Surveillance - ICAHS

This first edition of the International Conference on Animal Health Surveillance (ICAHS), to be held from 17 to 20 May 2011 in Lyon, France as part of the Vet2011 World Veterinary Year*, will bring together stakeholders from around the world who are working in the field of animal health surveillance.

Surveillance: Science and Policy
The aim of the conference is to gather scientists and policy makers working in the area of animal health surveillance to exchange new ideas and better understand the challenges and opportunities that each group faces, and to develop solutions for future surveillance approaches under considerations of efficiency, cost-effectiveness and quality that fulfil the needs of both policy and science.

The venue
The conference will be held in the Unesco World Heritage city of Lyon. Presentations will take place in the baroque Chapelle de la Trinité, in the heart of Lyon. The meeting is timed immediately before the General Session of the OIE to be held in Paris the week after.

Who should come?
- Scientists: those using or researching new techniques and tools for surveillance
- Practitioners: those responsible for implementing surveillance programs and wishing to be updated on the latest opportunities and developments
- Policy makers - those responsible for setting national, regional and international standards for surveillance
The focus of the meeting is on animal health surveillance, but those working in zoonoses and human health surveillance are welcome to attend and to share their experiences. Registration for the conference is now open.

Conference organization
Ten internationally renowned scientists united to form a steering committee and took the initiative of proposing a worldwide conference on animal health surveillance. The steering committee has entrusted the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) and the Association for the Study of the Epidemiology of Animal Diseases (AEEMA) with the organisation of the conference.