27 June 2012: The Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) have presented a new Global Strategy to combat foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). The Global Strategy aims to decrease the number of disease outbreaks in infected countries until they attain FMD-free status, and to maintain the official FMD-free status of countries that are already FMD-free.

It will combine two existing tools: the OIE Performance of Veterinary Services Pathway tool, which evaluates national veterinary services with the aim of bringing them into compliance with OIE quality standards; and the FAO Progressive Control Pathway for Foot-and-Mouth Disease tool, which supports countries in better managing FMD risks, including through surveillance and identifying types of FMD virus strains circulating in the country and neighboring areas.

The Global Strategy was developed under the umbrella of the FAO/OIE Global Framework for the Progressive Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases in consultation with selected experts, countries and donors, as well as with regional and international organizations. It was unveiled during the FAO/OIE Global Conference on FMD Control, held from 27-29 June 2012, in Bangkok, Thailand. [FAO/OIE Press Release] [Global Conference on FMD Control]