90th Meeting of the SPS Committee
Communication from the World Organisation for Animal
Health (WOAH)
The following communication,
received on 16 October 2024, is being circulated at the
request of the WOAH.
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The World Organisation for
Animal Health (WOAH) is pleased to provide this report for the information of WTO Members
attending the 90th meeting of the SPS Committee.
The report summarises
key activities from WOAH's standard-setting work programme, along with updates
on relevant WOAH capacity building activities.
1 Developments in the WOAH standards for terrestrial and aquatic
animals
1.1. The four WOAH Specialist Commission met virtually during September
2024 to continue work to review existing, and develop new WOAH international
standards in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code, the Aquatic Animal Health
Code, the Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals and
the Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals, along with other activities
relevant to each Commission's terms of reference.
1.2. Reports of these four meetings, including new and revised standards
circulated for comment, will be available on the WOAH website during
October/November 2024. The links to these reports, once available, are provided
below:
·_
Aquatic
Animal Health Standards Commission, September 2024 meeting report;
·_
Biological
Standards Commission, September 2024 meeting report;
·_
Scientific
Commission for Animal Diseases, September 2024 meeting report;
·_
Terrestrial
Animal Health Commission, September 2024 meeting report.
1.3. WOAH would like to highlight to the Committee the following work
undertaken during these meetings.
1.1 Terrestrial Animal Health Code
1.4. The Terrestrial Animal Health Standards Commission circulated 21
texts (including glossary definitions and new and revised chapters) for
comments in its September 2024 report. Nine of these texts will be proposed for
adoption at the 92nd WOAH General Session in May 2025.
1.5. Chapters that will be proposed for adoption at the 92nd General
Session, included among others, a new Chapter 4.X. Biosecurity, a new Chapter
8.Y. Infection with Nipah virus, and a new Chapter 11.X. Infection with
bovine pestiviruses (bovine viral diarrhoea).
1.6. Chapters circulated for comment, included among others, a new
Chapter 5.5. Measures and procedures applicable to the transit of commodities,
a new Chapter 5.7. Border inspection posts and quarantine centres, a new
Chapter 8.X. Infection with Crimean-Congo haemmorrhagic fever virus, and a new
Chapter 10.X. Infection with avian metapneumovirus.
1.2 Aquatic Animal Health Code
1.7. At its September 2024 meeting, the Aquatic Animal Health Standards
Commission (Aquatic Animals Commission) reviewed and responded to comments on
four new chapters which have been circulated twice: Chapter 4.X. 'Emergency
disease preparedness', Chapter 4.Y. 'Disease outbreak management', Chapter 4.Z.
'Control of pathogenic agents in traded milt and fertilized eggs of fish' and
Chapter 5.X. 'Movement of ornamental aquatic animals'. Following the listing of
infection with Megalocytivirus pagrus
1 at the 92nd WOAH General Session in May 2024 the Aquatic Animals
Commission developed a new draft Chapter 10.X. 'Infection with Megalocytivirus pagrus 1' and circulated
it for comment.
1.8. The Aquatic Animals Commission reviewed an assessment on the default
periods of time required for basic biosecurity conditions and targeted
surveillance for pathways to declare freedom from disease for all WOAH listed
aquatic animal diseases. The results of the assessment were applied to all
disease-specific chapters and revised Articles X.X.5., X.X.6. and X.X.7. were
circulated for comment.
1.9. The Aquatic Animals Commission continued its work to review the
susceptible species for WOAH listed aquatic animal diseases by applying the
criteria for susceptibility in accordance with Chapter 1.5. 'Criteria for
listing species as susceptible to infection with a specific pathogen' of the Aquatic Code. The Aquatic Animals
Commission reviewed the assessments for susceptible species to infection with Perkinsus olseni, infection with white
spot syndrome virus, infection with Aphanomyces
invadans and infection with Xenohaliotis
californiensis and circulated the revised Articles X.X.2 for
comment.
1.3 Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals
1.10. The Biological Standards Commission circulated 28 chapters for a
first round of comments. Of these chapters, nine are introductory chapters on
general standards (e.g. on standards for high throughput sequencing,
bioinformatics and computational genomics, or tests for sterility) or specific
recommendations (e.g. on antimicrobial susceptibility testing or validation
methods), and the remaining 19 are disease-specific, included among others, an
updated section on requirements for vaccines for the chapters on sheep pox and
goat pox and classical swine fever. The chapters were updated by Reference
Centre experts and further edited by the Commission before circulation for
comment.
1.11. The revised chapter on African swine fever (vaccine section only)
was circulated for a third round of comments.
1.4 Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals
1.12. The Aquatic Animals Commission continued its update and reformatting
of the disease-specific chapters of the Aquatic
Manual to ensure the most current guidance is provided to members.
The Commission circulated revised Chapter 2.4.2. 'Infection with Bonamia exitiosa' and Chapter 2.4.3. 'Infection
with Bonamia ostreae' for
comment.
1.13. In addition, it circulated for comment a crustacean, a fish and two
mollusc disease-specific chapters with amended sections regarding susceptible
species (i.e. Section 2.2.1. and 2.2.2. of Chapter 2.2.8. 'Infection with white
spot syndrome virus'; Chapter 2.3.1. 'Infection with Aphanomyces invadans [epizootic ulcerative syndrome];
Chapter 2.4.6. 'Infection with Perkinsus
olseni'; and Chapter 2.4.7. 'Infection with Xenohaliotis californiensis',
respectively).
1.14. All four Specialist Commissions also progressed discussions of other
work items and updated work programme's considering the progress of work and
new requests.
2 WOAH Standards Online Navigation Tool
2.1. WOAH has launched a project aimed at improving how WOAH Standards
are displayed and made available to members and other users. The project will
enhance the display of the Aquatic Code, Terrestrial Code, Aquatic Manual, and
Terrestrial Manual on the WOAH website. The project will also include a
specific tool aimed at providing specific search functions for the visualisation
of sanitary measures recommended for the international trade of commodities.
2.2. The WOAH Standards Online Navigation Tool is an innovative platform
designed to simplify access to WOAH standards. It aligns with the WOAH Digitalization
Strategy, aiming to improve efficiency and support informed decision-making.
2.3. The project will deliver three key interfaces: 1. Recommendations for Safe International Trade by
Commodity: A tool allowing users to visualise trade recommendations
with a filtering system; 2. Navigation
and Search Tool: An intuitive interface for navigating WOAH's
International Standards; and 3. Internal
Interface: A dedicated platform for WOAH staff to manage and update
standards.
2.4. The new WOAH Standards Online Navigation Tool is expected date to go
live in December 2024.
3 Provision of scientific advice to WOAH and its Members
3.1. The Director General establishes ad
hoc Groups to provide specific technical and scientific advice
required to support the work of the WOAH and the WOAH Specialist Commissions.
WOAH publishes information on its website providing the dates and terms of
reference of proposed ad hoc
Groups as well as reports once these have been considered by the relevant
Specialist Commissions and validated.
3.2. This information is available on the WOAH website at: ad hoc Groups.
4 WOAH official recognition of animal health status and control
programmes
4.1. WOAH members can apply to be included in the list of countries with
an officially recognized status for the following six priority diseases: bovine
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), foot and mouth disease (FMD), contagious
bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), African horse sickness, peste des petits
ruminants (PPR) and classical swine fever (CSF).
4.2. The full
list of countries and their recognised status for AHS, BSE, CBPP, CSF, FMD, and
PPR can be accessed online on the WOAH public website.
5 Self-declared disease status
5.1. In accordance with the provisions of the Terrestrial Code or the
Aquatic Code, WOAH members may wish to self-declare the freedom of their
country, zone or compartment from a WOAH listed disease. WOAH can publish a
Member's self-declaration for disease-freedom on the WOAH website after a member
has provided the relevant documented evidence of compliance with the provisions
of the relevant chapters of the Codes. The WOAH screens applications and
considers them for publication in accordance with its Standard
Operating Procedure.
5.2. All published self-declarations are available on the WOAH website
at: Self-declared
Disease Status - WOAH - World Organisation for Animal Health.
6 Monitoring implementation of WOAH international standards – WOAH
Observatory
6.1. Observatory thematic studies are developed after the collection and
analysis of new and existing data to provide a detailed understanding of the
level of implementation of one or more standards and challenges WOAH members may
face when implementing them. This allows WOAH to identify the specific needs of
members and propose targeted recommendations to meet those.
6.2. Since the publication of the first thematic study on zoning (regionalization)
in January 2024, the Observatory explored factors favouring and impeding zone
acceptance by trading partners, using complementary data sources and analytical
methods, to complete the recommendations on this subject. The results will be
published in early 2025.
6.3. In July 2024, the Observatory published an executive summary of the
preliminary results of the second thematic study dedicated to Animal welfare in
transport by land and sea. A more in‑depth analysis is underway to identify
success factors and barriers to the implementation of those Standards which
will be published in 2025.
6.4. Thematic
study publications are available on the WOAH website.
6.5. Another thematic study currently underway is the Use, challenge and
impact of compartmentalisation.
6.6. The Observatory also produces regular monitoring reports which
provides a global perspective of members' implementation of standards. The first
report was published early January 2023. The second edition is
expected late 2025 and thereafter will be published every five years to
coincide with preparations for WOAH's 5-year Strategic Plan.
6.7. An Observatory digital platform will be developed within the next
two years to collect and analyse the data, to better visualize Observatory
monitoring indicators and permit WOAH members to access to their specific
country profile.
7 Global strategy for prevention and control of HPAI
7.1. WOAH in collaboration with FAO through the Global Framework for the
Progressive Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases (GF-TADs) mechanism
established a HPAI Task Force to initiate a revision of the Global Strategy for
prevention and control of HPAI, which was last updated in October 2008. The
consultations and commenting process for the revised GF-TADs HPAI Strategy for
2024‑2033 has been completed and publication of the Strategy is expected by the
end of 2024. The updated Global Strategy adopts a systems approach,
integrating HPAI with other broader global issues, and aims for long-term
improvements in the poultry sector. Emphasizing the One Health approach, it
advocates for collaboration across public health, wildlife, and environmental
sectors to protect and transform poultry value chains. It provides a blueprint
for countries to formulate effective national plans based on the latest
scientific advances and the specific needs of their regions.
8 Global initiative for the global control of African swine fever
8.1. In January 2020, WOAH, in collaboration with FAO under the Global
Framework for the Progressive Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases
(GF-TADs), launched a joint initiative for the Global Control of African Swine
Fever (ASF) (2020-2025) aimed at bringing stakeholders from multiple sectors
together to improve coordination and galvanize the sustained effort and
political will needed for the global control of ASF. WOAH will review the
progress made for the current initiative and work with its partners to develop
the future global initiative.
8.2. Noting the interest and use by countries of candidate vaccines for
ASF, WOAH has drafted an international standard for the development and
manufacture of safe and effective ASF vaccines which will be circulated for
comments in the Biological Standards Commission's September 2024 report. WOAH
advocates for the importance of using only high-quality vaccines with proven
efficacy and safety, which have been subject to regulatory evaluation and
approval in accordance with WOAH international standards.
9 Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
9.1. The eighth WOAH annual report on antimicrobial
agents intended for use in animals, published in May 2024, showed that
progress toward optimal antimicrobial use is slowing down in the animal health
sector. Global antimicrobial use in animals increased by 2% between 2019 and
2021,as per data analysed in 81 participating countries that consistently
provided quantitative information for the three years. A significant rise was
observed in Africa, probably attributed to improved monitoring systems.
Americas and Asia and the Pacific, which hold much greater importance in use
and biomass, also showed an increased trend.
9.2. WOAH and the World Bank released a series of reports forecasting the
economic fallout from AMR in humans
and food-producing
animals, under the EcoAMR Series. Based on the latest analysis of the
Global Burden of Disease database in humans, and other sources for
food-producing animals, main findings indicate that drug-resistant bacteria
could jeopardize food security for over two billion people, and increase annual
human health care costs by US$159 billion annually by 2050, if no compelling
action is taking today. A policy
brief within the EcoAMR Series provides recommendations to avert the health
and economic impacts through One Health policies and investments, that amongst
others, bolster preventive measures. Study shows benefits of sustaining animal
vaccination, promoting good animal husbandry and biosecurity. Conversely, the
study indicated economic benefits for governments to reduce the use of
antimicrobials, including renouncing to use them as livestock growth promoters.
9.3. Following the political
declaration at the 79th United Nations General Assembly
High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), WOAH in collaboration
with the other Quadripartite Organizations, will lead to an actionable document
which will enable to strengthen current response to contain AMR across all
sectors. With five commitments around agriculture and animal health, WOAH will
play an important role in its implementation, prioritizing prevention to ensure
that, by 2030, animal vaccination strategies are defined with an implementation
plan, including with international cooperation, taking into account WOAH's list
of priority diseases for which vaccines could reduce antimicrobial use.
10 Emergency Management
10.1. Results of several WOAH studies suggest that many countries do not
have access to adequate resources to implement emergency response plans; cross
government emergency management mechanisms do not include veterinary services;
what is considered an emergency varies between countries depending on its level
of development, livestock industry structure and if any export markets. WOAH
continues to work to support its members enhance capacity on emergency
management including through the provision of tools (guidance) and training.
WOAH is working to improve multisectoral cooperation. Notably WOAH is
advocating for greater engagement of veterinary services in cross government
emergency management frameworks and is implementing a programme to strengthen
cooperation between veterinary services and the law enforcement sector.
10.2. To ensure preparedness, it is important to carry our regular
simulation exercises to test national contingency (or emergency) plans. WOAH
has recently developed a new dashboard to provide an analysis of simulation
exercises reported to WOAH by its members and is available on WOAH's
website.
10.3. WOAH is currently working on the development of an incident
management system (IMS) to support WOAH HQ and regional/sub-regional
representations with consistent, coherent, and optimal response to
international emergencies that impact animal health. It is expected that the
IMS will be in place before the end of 2025.
10.4. WOAH will be hosting a Global Conference on Biological Threat
Reduction in November 2025.
11 Performance of Veterinary Services Pathway (PVS Pathway) Information
System
11.1. The PVS Information System is a
web portal integrated with search and data visualization tools to facilitate
PVS Pathway data mining and digitalization processes and analysing PVS
Evaluation missions' data and will be the foundation for the full PVS Pathway
Information System, under development in a phased and modular approach. The PVS
Pathway Information System (1) improves accessibility of PVS reports, data, and
analysis contained therein; (2) improves use of PVS Pathway data by members,
partners and donors; (3) provides insight on members' PVS Pathway engagement
and progression; (4) provides analysis on strengths and weaknesses; and (5)
provides analytics on recommendations for each critical competency.
11.2. The PVS IS features are designed to enable members, resource
partners, development banks and other stakeholders to easily identify capacity
gaps, monitor progress, and prioritize investments at national, (sub)regional,
and regional levels. It enables comparison across different geographical areas,
thereby empowering countries, regional and international actors, to take
appropriate action for threat reduction and the prevention, preparedness, and
control of transboundary animal diseases. With historic data since 2007 now
structured, analysed and organized according to crucial topics such as disease
surveillance, risk assessment, One Health, laboratory performance, biosafety,
biosecurity, AMR, and all competencies covered in the WOAH International
Standards, trend analysis and impact evaluation of PVS Recommendations is now
within reach.
11.3. The central innovation at the heart of the PVS IS is its focus on
text processing, this critical development means that every WOAH member engaged
in the PVS Pathway (n=146) can be prompted systematically to self-report
annually on actions taken against the recommendations made. This mechanism will
allow significant insights on a granular (e.g. national, regional, and global)
level for more accountability of all PVS stakeholders.
11.4. The self-reporting mechanism will be ready in 2025 to be rolled out
to gain insights on actions taken since the latest PVS Evaluation Report
(regardless of the year) for all WOAH members, as well as timeframe, resources
required, changes observed, barriers to implementation, and practices on
prioritization, among others. Real-time analysis through the PVS IS dashboards
will be developed and made available to stakeholders in the PVS IS.
11.5. To date in 2024, the PVS Pathway Programme has undertaken 24 PVS
activities with another 40 activities in the pipeline. More details can be
found on the WOAH website at PVS
Pathway and the PVS Information System.
12 WOAH Training: Competency Package on Trade of Animals and Animal
Products
12.1. Significant progress has been achieved in the development of the
WOAH Competency-Based Training Framework with the first of the package of
eleven eLearning modules now available at: Course: International
trade regulatory framework | WOAH eLearning Platform.
12.2. The other ten modules are expected to be published online by March
2025. This initiative underscores WOAH's commitment to strengthening Veterinary
Services globally by aligning training with the evolving needs and strategic
objectives of WOAH members.
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