World Organisation for Animal Health
Font size:
Language :
Search:
Home > Animal health in the World
Animal Health in the World - Overview
One of OIE’s missions is to ensure transparency in and enhance knowledge of the worldwide animal health situation. Among the formal obligations of OIE Member Countries is the submission of information on the relevant animal disease situation – including on zoonoses present on their territory - in the most timely and transparent way. A single OIE list of notifiable terrestrial and aquatic animal diseases has been established for this purpose and to accomplish its mandate in this respect, the OIE created and manages the World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS) which is coupled with the World Animal Health Information Database (WAHID) interface, providing information on 119 diseases listed for 2014. WAHID Interface provides public access to all data regarding OIE-Listed diseases, held into WAHIS database as soon as they are validated by the OIE. This extensive database is a cornerstone in OIE efforts to improve the transparency, efficiency and speed with which animal health information is disseminated throughout the world.
In addition, WAHIS-Wild Interface provides information about non OIE-listed diseases in wildlife. 53 infectious and non-infectious diseases to be monitored in priority were selected by OIE experts on their importance for wildlife and for early warning purpose to protect animal and human health. Member Countries provide on a voluntary basis this data once a year. This information published on WAHIS-Wild Interface is not in any case for international trade policies.
Moreover to WAHID and WAHIS-Wild interfaces, specific pages have been created in this section to provide an update on highly pathogenic avian influenza (Update on HPAI ) and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE situation in the world), for the convenience of immediate stakeholders and other interested parties in these important zoonotic diseases. These pages display a permanently updated situation as soon as new information is provided by Member Countries to the OIE.
Portals regarding four OIE-listed diseases of major interest, namely BSE, FMD, AI and rabies are also available in this section, providing information on technical expertise, prevention and control, events among others.
Official recognition of animal disease status: AHS, BSE, CBPP, CSF, FMD, PPR and rinderpest
This section also contains detailed information on the OIE official procedures on the recognition of animal disease status for African horse sickness (AHS), bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risks, classical swine fever (CSF), contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), foot and mouth disease (FMD), peste des petits ruminants and rinderpest. In addition, it contains information on OIE’s officially recognised statuses of Member Countries or territories for the seven previously mentioned diseases.
This procedure of official recognition by the OIE of disease status goes back to May 1994, when the World Assembly of Delegates of the OIE requested the Foot and Mouth Disease and Other Epizootics Commission (now called the Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases) to develop a procedure for the official recognition by the OIE of the foot and mouth disease free status of Member Countries. The procedure has since been expanded to include rinderpest, contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, African horse sickness, peste des petits ruminants and classical swine fever. In 1998, the official agreement between the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the OIE further confirmed the OIE’s mandate to recognise disease and pest-free areas for trade purposes, in the context of the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. By acquiring and maintaining its official status, a country demonstrates transparency and helps to promote animal health and public health worldwide, thereby gaining the trust of its trade partners, neighbouring countries and the international community as a whole.