The WOAH Sub-Regional Representation for Eastern Africa was established in 2009 and started operating in January 2010. The Representation is entrusted with the technical cooperation with two regional economic communities in the Region, i.e. the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), with headquarters based in Djibouti City, Djibouti and the East African Community (EAC) with headquarters based in Arusha, Tanzania. In addition, the Representation, in close cooperation with the Regional Representation of the WOAH for Africa, liaises with the various African Union instititions in the Region, i.e. the African Union Commission (AUC), the Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), the Pan-African Veterinary Vaccine Centre (AU-PANVAC) and the Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomosis Eradication Campaign (AU-PATTEC). Normative activities of the WOAH Sub-Regional Representation fall within the 7th Strategic Plan of the WOAH and include (but are not limited to) :
- Assist WOAH Member Countries and Territories in the Region to comply with international standards in the field of animal health and animal welfare, including the WTO SPS Agreement.
- Assist WOAH Member Countries and Territories in the Region to improve governance and performance of veterinary services (evaluations, gap analyses, donor round tables) along the PVS pathway
- Provide technical support to WOAH Member Countries and Territories in the Region, as well as the Secretariats of the Regional Economic Communities (EAC and IGAD) to reach agreement on the regional application of international standards in the field of animal health and animal welfare.
- Offer policy advice in the field of animal health and animal welfare to WOAH Member Countries and Territories in the Region, as well as the Secretariats of the Regional Economic Communities (EAC and IGAD) so as to strengthen veterinary services involvement in animal health, veterinary public health and animal welfare policy design and governance.
- Develop and implement capacity-building programmes for national veterinary services of WOAH Member Countries and Territories in the Region through support to WOAH Permanent Delegates and National Focal Points.
- Provide WOAH Member Countries and Territories in the Region, as well as the Secretariats of the Regional Economic Communities (EAC and IGAD) with policy advice, support and training in the specific areas of veterinary education, veterinary statutory bodies, aquatic biosecurity, animal welfare and reference laboratory services (through WOAH reference laboratories).
- Support the establishment of twinning agreements between laboratories, centres of excellence, veterinary educational establishments (VEE) and veterinary statutory bodies (VSB).
- Support the recognition of new WOAH Reference Centres (reference laboratories and collaborating centres) in the Region and encourage networking between scientists in the Region especially in the area of diseases of bees, aquatic diseases, veterinary laboratories, …)
- Promote transparency on sanitary information through maintaining and updating formal and informal animal health information.
- Provide governments, research institutions, universities and private users with fast, economical access to technical information and knowledge.
- Support WOAH Member Countries and Territories in the Region to develop their official disease status dossiers.
- Support initiatives promoting the veterinary profession and animal health and welfare such as the World Veterinary Day and World Rabies Day
- Disseminate technical information and raise awareness through extension messages
- Support WOAH Member Countries and Territories in the Region to improve collaborations between the public health and animal health sectors and other competent ministries on “One Health” issues to reduce risks at the animal-human-ecosystems interface.
- Foster institutional relations and collaboration with the Government of Kenya (host), the African Union Commission (AUC), the Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources of the African Union (AU-IBAR), the Pan-African Veterinary Vaccine Centre of the African Union (AU-PANVAC), the Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomosis Eradication Campaign of the African Union (AU-PATTEC), the Secretariat of the East African Community (EAC), the Secretariat of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), FAO, and other key stakeholders such as ILRI, ICIPE, GALVMed, etc…
- Foster institutional relations and collaboration with the diplomatic community and the development partners including the European Union, USA, France, World Bank, etc…
