Finnish Strategy on Zoonoses in 2004-2008
maa- ja metsätalousministeriö
26.02.2004
Julkaisusarja:
Memorandum of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry 5a/2004This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:952-453-193-3Tiivistelmä
Zoonoses are diseases naturally transmissible between humans and animals either directly or indirectly. Vehicles for indirect transmission may be, for example, foodstuffs, water or insects. Zoonotic agents include bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. Many of the most significant infections in humans worldwide are zoonoses. Some of the zoonoses cause relatively mild infections whilst others are life-threatening to humans as well as cause significant economic losses to societies.
Many different parties in areas of healthcare, foodstuff control, veterinary medicine and feedingstuff control participate in the control and prevention of zoonotic infections. Control and prevention are largely based on legislation and the work done by the authorities, but voluntary preventive work as well as the monitoring undertaken by individual branches of the industry, are also of great significance.
In 2000 the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry appointed a permanent working group for zoonoses, with representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the National Food Administration, the National Veterinary and Food Research Institute, the National Public Health Institute and the Plant Production Inspection Centre. Among the objectives of the working group are monitoring the occurrence of zoonoses in Finland, developing the collaboration between different parties as well as drawing up a strategy for combating zoonoses.
The objective of this Zoonoses Strategy is to clarify the roles of, strengthen the collaboration between different parties and to highlight shared objectives for developing the combat against zoonoses. The Strategy is based upon the current view of the occurrence and significance of zoonoses in Finland (chapters 5 and 6), as well as on the influence of the operating environment and legislation (chapters 3 and 4). For the Strategy, the working group has created the key principles in combating zoonoses (chapter 2) and a vision for the year 2008, together with proposals for both objectives and proposed action (chapters 7 – 9).
The Zoonoses Strategy is also in part associated with the National Quality Strategy for the Food Sector in Finland drawn up under the guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The aim of the National Quality Strategy is to develop the quality of products and operations with joint efforts of the administration, research, training and consultation as well as the food chain. This is to ensure the permanently high level of quality whilst improving the competitiveness of the industry. The entire food production industry participates in the implementation of the quality strategy. Other product- and sector-specific strategies and action programmes are currently being drafted in the Ministry.
Many different parties in areas of healthcare, foodstuff control, veterinary medicine and feedingstuff control participate in the control and prevention of zoonotic infections. Control and prevention are largely based on legislation and the work done by the authorities, but voluntary preventive work as well as the monitoring undertaken by individual branches of the industry, are also of great significance.
In 2000 the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry appointed a permanent working group for zoonoses, with representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the National Food Administration, the National Veterinary and Food Research Institute, the National Public Health Institute and the Plant Production Inspection Centre. Among the objectives of the working group are monitoring the occurrence of zoonoses in Finland, developing the collaboration between different parties as well as drawing up a strategy for combating zoonoses.
The objective of this Zoonoses Strategy is to clarify the roles of, strengthen the collaboration between different parties and to highlight shared objectives for developing the combat against zoonoses. The Strategy is based upon the current view of the occurrence and significance of zoonoses in Finland (chapters 5 and 6), as well as on the influence of the operating environment and legislation (chapters 3 and 4). For the Strategy, the working group has created the key principles in combating zoonoses (chapter 2) and a vision for the year 2008, together with proposals for both objectives and proposed action (chapters 7 – 9).
The Zoonoses Strategy is also in part associated with the National Quality Strategy for the Food Sector in Finland drawn up under the guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The aim of the National Quality Strategy is to develop the quality of products and operations with joint efforts of the administration, research, training and consultation as well as the food chain. This is to ensure the permanently high level of quality whilst improving the competitiveness of the industry. The entire food production industry participates in the implementation of the quality strategy. Other product- and sector-specific strategies and action programmes are currently being drafted in the Ministry.