National Reference Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology, Programming, Information and Risk Analysis

The Veterinary Operational Centre for Epidemiology, Programming and Information (COVEPI) was recognized as National Reference Centre by the Ministerial Decree of the 2^nd of November 1991. In June 2009 the Italian Ministry of Health modified the competences of the Centre, which is now the National Reference Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology, Programming, Information and Risk Analysis. The Centre's tasks are as follows:

• To prepare and draw up surveillance plans, to analyse the resulting data and to publish the outcomes;
• To develop, standardize and promote procedures and protocols for epidemiological analysis and surveillance activities;
• To develop information systems, at national and international level, for handling data and performing epidemiological analyses;
• To plan, project and develop web based geographic information systems (web-GIS) to visualize, inquire and disseminate data and information;
• To perform risk assessment studies in animal health, food safety and animal welfare sectors;
• To train veterinary personnel in the fields of veterinary epidemiology and epidemiological surveillance, Statistics and Geographic Information System, both at national and international level;
• To conduct researches and studies in the fields of epidemiological surveillance systems, risk assessment methodologies and in the application of innovative data analysis methods, such as those related to spatial and genomic analyses.

COVEPI provides consultancy to international organizations such as WOAH, FAO and WHO, to the institutions of the European Union, to the veterinary services of the Ministry of Health both at central and local levels, to other Experimental Zooprophylactic Institutes and to other institutions and Organizations.