Developing standards: the role of the OIE expert.

The increasingly global nature of animal trade, along with greater focus on improving the production and trading opportunities for emerging nations has highlighted the need for a more standardised, harmonised approach to standardisation of diagnostics and prophylaxis. This has driven a need, on the part of both the competent authorities of member countries and international agencies, for OIE itself to develop its role as the repository and source of expertise in these fields. With this role has emerged a strong demand to develop standardisation and harmonisation of diagnostic processes, along with an ever-expanding role played by the OIE Reference Expert in networking and consultancy. This expansion comes at a price, both in terms of the burden on Reference Laboratories and the financial cost of the activities themselves. Accordingly, the role of the Reference Expert is pivotal, both in improving standards and in assuring the viability of the Reference Laboratory they represent. At a higher level, the need for strategic changes are highlighted, involving establishment of networks to share the burden and increase efficiency of delivery, along with greater interaction among international agencies and assistance in providing project-based financial support. Closer collaboration with the diagnostics and vaccine industries is also foreseen, which, if managed properly, will provide benefits to OIE Reference Laboratories through income to support their activities, to national laboratories thorough advanced, reliable and validated tests and, ultimately, to animal health itself, at the global level.