National Reference Centre for Urban Hygiene and Non-Epidemic Emergencies

The National Reference Centre for Urban Hygiene and Non-Epidemic Emergencies (IUVENE) has been appointed as Reference Centre by the Ministerial Decree of the 19^th March 2013 (published on the Italian official Gazette of the 16^th August 2013). The tasks of the Centre are the following:

• to create a structured and permanent network of reference persons placed in each Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale,

• to support and assist the Italian Ministry of Health in planning and implementing surveillance, monitoring and control programmes on stray dog and cat populations as well as in developing protocols and operative procedures for that purpose;

• to define plans for surveillance and control of pests of public health interest,

• to draw up contingency plans and related operative procedures in relation to non-epidemic emergencies,

• to put in place any other useful activity in the field of urban hygiene and non-epidemic emergencies.

IUVENE’s tasks include also the preparation and execution of training courses for the veterinarians of local health units and for private practitioners and volunteers. These training programs must respond to the ever-changing and constantly increasing demand for veterinary training at national and international level.