World Organisation for Animal Health

🗣 NEW OPPORTUNITY 🗣 ✅ Are you a qualified consultant or consulting firm with proven experience conducting threat, vulnerability, and capacity assessments in health security sectors? ✅ Would you like to contribute to strengthening Africa’s preparedness and resilience against current and emerging biological threats? The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) is seeking a service provider to undertake a continent-wide Biological Threats and Vulnerabilities Scoping Study in Africa. This assignment will identify and analyse biological threats, vulnerabilities, and risk drivers affecting the animal health sector across the continent. The findings will help shape future investments, policies, and capacity-building initiatives aimed at enhancing animal health and health security across Africa. Interested? Learn more below and submit your proposal by 🗓️ 4 December 2026 (12:00 p.m. Paris time): procurement.woah.org/#/home/…

In remote areas, where the nearest veterinarian may be several hours away, animal health depends on people who live and work closely with their communities. This is the story of Álvaro and Aviyala, two young people from the Jepimana Indigenous community in La Guajira, Colombia. Through an initiative led by the @ICACOLOMBIA, they are receiving training to provide essential animal health services within their community. Their work helps improve animal health and protect their families’ livelihoods. It also creates opportunities for them to build a future in their own territory, without having to leave in search of opportunities elsewhere.

Foot and mouth disease has recently caused unprecedented outbreaks in Southern Africa. The spread of New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasitic fly, is also raising concern, with tens of thousands of cases reported across Central America. Lumpy skin disease reached Western Europe for the first time. Worldwide, avian influenza recorded over thousands of outbreaks in animals, spreading to new species and new areas. At the same time, the financing landscape on which prevention programmes depend is contracting significantly. What the evidence shows is not comfortable reading. More than 20% of global animal production is lost to preventable disease every year. Annually, less than US$ 1 billion in development aid reaches Veterinary Services and zoonotic disease prevention. Less than 2.5% of a shrinking global health aid budget is currently directed at the frontline of pandemic prevention. Read more about what we can do correct this imbalance in the State of the World's Animal Health report: woah.org/app/uploads/2026/05…

African swine fever (ASF) continued to affect the world in September 2026: - 2 countries in Europe reported new ASF events. - No new outbreak was reported by countries/territories in Asia and the Pacific, the Americas, and the Middle East. - In Europe, 61 new outbreaks were reported in domestic pigs and 170 in wild boars, with 12,958 animal losses in domestic pigs. - An outbreak of African swine fever in domestic pigs was reported in Africa. - Since September 2025, the number of reported outbreaks in domestic pigs have shown a decreasing trend. - South Sudan reported the first ever outbreak of ASF in the country in July 2026 Read the report for more such insights: woah.org/en/document/african…

What do we know about #Shamonda virus, and what does its emergence in Europe mean? First isolated in cattle in Nigeria in 1965, Shamonda virus has since been identified in parts of Africa and Asia. Transmitted by biting midges, it affects cattle and other animals, including sheep, goats and horses. Now, the first human infection has been reported in France. Information on the Shamonda virus variants currently detected in Europe is still evolving. In collaboration with our reference centres and expert networks, WOAH is actively assessing available evidence and monitoring developments. Swipe through our FAQs to explore what we know so far, what remains uncertain and how Veterinary Services can help monitor the situation: woah.org/en/shamonda-virus-w…

Preserving a family heritage that dates back to the year 1300 can mean upgrading to modern alternatives. Farmers, like Oriol, are using real-time satellite data with solar-powered GPS collars to draw virtual boundaries and respond to changing environmental conditions directly from their pockets. In this episode of Animals & Us, created with the BBC, we see how a farmer in Catalonia is continuing his family legacy through technology.

By taking biological samples directly from livestock waste, veterinarians are uncovering natural microorganisms that may help reduce dangerous pathogens, before they reach the food chain. In this episode of Animals & Us, created with @bbcstoryworks, we see how @EUPAHW is helping preserve the use of antimicrobials and reduce antimicrobial resistance.

We took a look at the diseases that threaten wildlife and their health during the period of January and March 2026. Of the 11 diseases reported during this period, avian influenza affected the highest number of threatened species. Species threatened with extinction are few in numbers and rely on a limited geographic distribution, and therefore, their population may not recover from a significant disease outbreak. The detection of avian influenza in species with a vulnerable conservation status is not new, it is a common and consistent finding in our analysis, highlighting the potentially detrimental impact of this disease on biodiversity conservation, due to additional mortality. Find out more such insights from our latest Wildlife Situation report: woah.org/app/uploads/2026/09…

Vaccination has long been recognised as one of the most effective instruments in the Veterinary Services toolbox for preventing disease, protecting livelihoods and supporting safe and sustainable food production. However, the context in which vaccines operate is changing rapidly. Climate change, geopolitical instability, evolving disease patterns, disruptions to global supply chains, growing antimicrobial resistance and declining public confidence in science are creating new challenges for animal health systems worldwide. The latest issue of WOAH’s Scientific and Technical Review – Vaccines in action – brings together a collection of articles that reflect these evolving realities.  Read it here: woah.org/en/what-we-do/publi…

For the third episode of Time Out, Dame Sally Davies, England's former Chief Medical Officer and physician, and expert, Javier Yugueros Marcos exchange their thoughts on the prevailing threat of antimicrobial resistance, the way forward and if there's hope.

Good wildlife health needs more than science, surveillance and expertise. It also needs laws that give authorities the power and responsibility to act. To understand where the legal gaps exist, with Legal Atlas we published two comparative studies looking at legislation covering terrestrial and aquatic wildlife health. We found that wildlife health legislation was greatly lacking across the world. Through its Veterinary Legislation Support Programme, WOAH is now helping Members identify legal gaps and develop recommendations for stronger wildlife health legislation. Read more about the findings from the study and how we can bridge the legal gap: woah.org/en/article/protecti…

What keeps up England's former Chief Medical Officer at night? For the third episode of Time Out, Dame Sally Davies, England's former Chief Medical Officer and physician, and expert, Javier Yugueros Marcos exchange their thoughts on the prevailing threat of antimicrobial resistance, the way forward and if there's hope. Watch the full interview: youtu.be/xeP76nEdjrE

Animal welfare is still absent in many national regulations Good welfare means more than the animals being free from disease; they also need to be comfortable, well-nourished, safe, and not suffering from unpleasant states such as pain, fear and distress. This requires frameworks that ensure such conditions from a broad and holistic perspective. For this reason, we, together with our Members, develop international standards that address both animal health and animal welfare. Read more about such insights: woah.org/en/document/the-obs…

📣 Call for experts in antimicrobial resistance WOAH is convening a group of multidisciplinary experts (ad hoc group) to provide its membership with a revision of refinements aim to support WOAH Members in implementing post-marketing surveillance of veterinary medicinal products quality, enhancing collaboration with relevant stakeholders (inspectors, customs, law enforcement), towards the prevention, detection and response to substandard and falsified veterinary products. Join the ad hoc group on the revision of section 3 ‘quality of veterinary services’ of the terrestrial animal health code, and chapter 1.1.8. of the manual of diagnostic tests and vaccines for terrestrial animals, within the context of substandard and falsified veterinary products. Apply until 23 October 2026. Find out more and apply here: woah.org/en/article/call-for…

Not long after the European wild honeybee was declared endangered, a new threat emerged: the exotic mite Tropilaelaps mercedesae. Signs indicate that the parasite is expanding its reach to Europe. The parasite reproduces in brood cells, moves quickly and can be mistaken for the better known Varroa mite. Early detection matters. Beekeepers, veterinarians and authorities need to recognise suspected infestations, report them promptly and obtain laboratory confirmation. Countries must work together to strengthen surveillance efforts. Find out more: woah.org/app/uploads/2026/09…

Every 9 minutes, a person dies of rabies. Rabies still kills more than 59,000 people every year. Yet countries around the world have shown that, by putting existing knowledge and tools into action, dog-mediated rabies can be eliminated. This year’s World Rabies Day theme, “Stronger Together,” reminds us that eliminating rabies requires that we all work together. When animal and human health systems work together and if we vaccinate our dogs, we can prevent rabies from reaching people and move closer to a world where no one dies from this entirely preventable disease. We must work together to stop rabies before it reaches people. #WorldRabiesDay #WRD

What does it take to prevent the next pandemic? At #UNGA, @WOAH_DG, Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran highlighted the need for sustainable investment in surveillance, diagnostics, skilled workforces and strong Veterinary Services at the human–animal–environment interface. 🎞️ UN Web TV

Highlights from the latest animal disease outbreaks, as reported on WAHIS. For real-time alerts and detailed reports, sign up here: wahis.woah.org/#/home

Along with @FAO, @WHO and the Convention on Migratory Species (@BonnConvention), we have developed a joint Strategic Framework to strengthen coordination and accelerate collective action on avian influenza under a One Health approach. This framework is built on years of shared work, common learning and joint action. It sets out a common vision and a coherent foundation for strengthening how we prevent, prepare for, detect and respond to avian influenza – across sectors, borders and regions. Take a look: woah.org/en/document/global-…