The General Session of the World Organization of Animal Health (WOAH)
Dr Nicolas Denormandie Technical Service Director Veterinary Public Health Center
Dr Cédric Dézier VPH Technical Service Director Veterinary Public Health Center
Dr Pascal HUDELET Head of Technical Services, Veterinary Public Health Center
The 91 st General Session of WOAH, held from 26 to 30 May 2024 in Paris, marked its 100 th anniversary. The event saw over 1100 participants from 166 countries, including multiple delegates from Boehringer Ingelheim (BI). Election and Discussions
The assembly elected Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran as the new Director General and Dr Susana Guedes Pombo as President. The event’s technical theme focused on defining the future of WOAH, with several updated standards of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code submitted for adoption. A notable side seminar on Agroterrorism & Agrocrime was moderated by Dr Dan Donachie from WOAH and Dr Fanny Ewann from Interpol, calling for increased involvement of the pharmaceutical industry in simulation of outbreak exercises and preparedness. Here is a summary of the top subjects at the event: 1. Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) Status: The assembly endorsed the need to maintain two different FMD-free statuses, with and without vaccination. The recovery of the FMD status of a country without vaccination must be accompanied by a cessation of vaccination at least 12 months Dr Monique Eloit, the Director-General of WOAH, emphasized the importance of collaboration, independence of scientific expertise, effective communication, and responsibility in decision-making during her speech. 3. Public-Private Partnerships (PPP): before the submission of the dossier. 2. Collaboration and Communication: The workshop on PPP highlighted its crucial role in enhancing veterinary services. PPP can advance research and development, manufacturing, animal health, infrastructure growth, and workforce development.
A meeting with EU Chief Veterinary Officers (CVOs) about Bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV3) was conducted. The discussion revolved around various strategies and issues related to the disease. Highlighting the call for preparedness from European countries and Boehringer Ingelheim in dealing with the potential outbreak of BTV3, with an available vaccine to prevent clinical signs and mortality.
Figure 1: Delegates of the 91 st World Organization of Animal Health (WOAH) General Session, with some of our technical team (Dr Cédric Dézier and Dr Nicolas Denormandie)
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