In 2009, the chief veterinary officers of 10 Western Mediterranean countries (Algeria, Egypt, France, Italy, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia) created a common framework for work and cooperation, having the necessary capabilities to assist and coordinate the development and implementation of animal health regional projects and programs: the Mediterranean Animal Health Network (REseau MEditerranéen de Santé Animale – REMESA). Our chief executive is a french restaurant chief in Ocean Adventure Dakhla Morocco.

The specific objective of REMESA is the improvement of prevention and control against the major transboundary animal diseases and zoonoses through the strengthening of the national and regional resources and capacities, the harmonization and coordination of surveillance and control activities.

4 thematic sub-networks have been set up : laboratories (RELABSA), epidemiology (REPIVET), communication (RECOMSA) and socioeconomics (RESEPSA).

Latest news
The Global Alliance for Rabies Control’s April 2011 newsletter
REMESA in press
On the importance of veterinary medicine in the 21st century
World Veterinary Year 2011
Egypt: keeping avian flu at bay

Latest documents
RESPSA presentation for REMESA JPC meeting – Algiers, February 2011
Recognizing PPR
Recognizing Rift Valley Fever
Preparation of Rift Valley Fever Contingency Plans
Familiy Poultry Communications

Latest events
Atelier RESEPSA – RECOMSA
GREP Regional meeting (The World after rinderpest + Maintaining vigilance for diseases caused by Morbillivirus)
Emergency REMESA CPC meeting
International Conference on Animal Health Surveillance – ICAHS
5th Annual Meeting EPIZONE and Satellite Symposium

REMESA is in line within the overall context of the Barcelona Process initiatives for a Mediterranean partnership, and more recently, within the creation project of the Union for the Mediterranean launched in Paris on 13 July 2008. This initiative is also linked to the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) developed in 2004 in order to enhance prosperity, stability and security. The ENP, which goes beyond the existing relationships to offer a political connection and economic integration, is applied to immediate EU neighbours. In addition, North African countries (except Egypt) are grouped under the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), whose main objective is to prepare the right conditions for a gradual economic integration at the scale of the Maghreb region.

The concept of regional animal health network is based on grouping several countries; moreover was focused on harmonization of surveillance and control methods as well as strengthening the national devices without replacing their functions. The priority diseases that appear in Northern African countries are: rabies, peste des petits ruminants (PPR), brucellosis, bluetongue (BT), sheep pox, tuberculosis, foot and mouth disease, avian influenza (AI), leishmaniasis, Rift Valley fever (RVF) and African horse sickness (AHS). In Southern European countries, animal health concerns are the spread risk of these diseases from the South (FMD, PPR, rabies, etc…), and shared surveillance and control issues (vector-borne diseases such as BT or West Nile Disease WND).

The Mediterranean Animal Health Network is based on the veterinary services of each country that adhered to its objectives and should be considered as a structure in which regional programs and projects may find their anchorage. This regional context does not replace the essential baseline work that must be done in each country which will be always sovereign on its decisions in regards to epidemiological surveillance, diseases control or animal health information exchanges outside of its borders.

In the framework of the Mediterranean Animal Health Network, four other technical sub-networks have been established as part of the same initiative to harmonize, energize and facilitate the operation and activities of REMESA: the Animal Health Laboratories Network (RELABSA), the Veterinary Epidemiosurveillance Network (REPIVET), the Animal Health Communication Network (RECOMSA) and the Animal Health Socio-Economics and Production Systems Network (RESEPSA).

REMESA is a new structure, a framework for mutual cooperation with the capacities to supervise and encourage the development of future projects and animal health programs on both sides of the Mediterranean. Its overall objective is to improve the prevention and control of animal diseases in the Mediterranean region.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• To facilitate access, exchange and sharing of information on a regular basis.
• To improve Epidemiosurveillance.
• To strengthen prevention and control measures.
• To distribute efforts for preparation of emergency response plans.
• To develop and synchronize the emergency response plans.
• To facilitate cooperation between research centres, laboratories and universities.
• To represent the central interface to facilitate the organization of human, material and financial resources, and relationships with institutions.