Animals > Animal Diseases > Risk Assessment 

Animal Health Risk Assessment

The Animal Health Risk Assessment Group is responsible for conducting risk analyses and providing scientific information and advice in support of the National Animal Health Program. The key activities include:

1. Plan, develop and conduct animal health risk analyses and provide scientific advice and information in support of decision making, policy development, and import and export protocol development for the National Animal Health Program.

2. Plan, develop and conduct disease status and veterinary infrastructure evaluations of foreign countries/ regions/ zones, including missions to these countries, to facilitate trade decisions of the National Animal Health Program.

3. Develop and acquire concepts and novel approaches, practices and techniques in risk analysis in order to provide the National Animal Health Program with the most current, sound and accurate scientific information, advice and analysis.

4. Provide a structured approach to policy development by developing a risk analysis and other frameworks, systems and processes for use by the National Animal Health Program.

5. Develop national and international standards in the area of risk analysis, epidemiology, evaluation of veterinary services, regionalisation and zoning, disease control and economic analysis.

6. Participate and represent the animal health component of the Animal, Plant and Food Risk Analysis Network (APFRAN) on Agency, national and international technical advisory committees and standing panels, and participate in conferences, workshops and other meetings.

7. Create and maintain a network of scientific contacts within CFIA, and nationally and internationally with veterinary institutions, universities, various government departments and industries to acquire information and evidence for animal health risk analyses, disease status and veterinary infrastructure evaluations.

The Animal Health and Production Risk Analysis Framework represents the protocol of the Animal Health and Production Division and the animal health component of APFRAN for conducting risk analyses and disease status evaluations. The protocol describes the processes for the initiation and conduction of risk analyses for the import and export of animals and animal products, safety of veterinary biologicals, assessment of domestic disease control programs and activities and country/ region/ zone disease status evaluations. The appendices of this protocol comprise tables of animal health hazards associated with the import of animals and animal products into Canada and a copy of the Sanitary Phytosanitary Agreement (April 1994) of the World Trade Organization.

A list of Completed Activities indicates the risk analyses, evaluations and other activities achieved by the Animal Health Risk Analysis Group for the years 1992 to 2004.

A list of all the members of the Animal Health Risk Analysis group can be found on DirectInfo.

• Animal Health Risk Analysis Framework for Biotechnology-Derived Animals