The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) is monitoring reports of hantavirus cases in collaboration with WHO and other partners to support a coordinated and evidence-based response, and commends WHO for its active efforts in leading the public health response to this incident. 

Hantavirus is a zoonotic disease, meaning it originates in animals — primarily rodents — before crossing into human populations. Effective rodent management grounded in integrated ecological methods remains the primary measure to reduce the risk of human infection, alongside public health awareness and risk communication.

The current situation serves as an important reminder of the value of sustained surveillance and early detection, particularly at the animal–human–environment interface. Strengthening our ability to detect and monitor diseases in animal populations is a fundamental component of prevention.

As highlighted in the 2026 State of the World’s Animal Health report to be published on 13 May 2026, around 75% of emerging infectious diseases in humans originate in animals. Systems that support early detection and information sharing across sectors remain among the most effective tools to mitigate risks to human, animal, and environmental health. While speculation and fear can be driven by zoonotic risks, WOAH underlines the importance of clear science and evidence as a guiding principle when releasing and consuming information. 

While this situation requires continued vigilance and international collaboration, current assessments by WHO indicate that the risk to the general public remains low.

WOAH encourages its 183 Members to continue strengthening these efforts and to invest in integrated, One Health approach that strengthen collaboration across sectors, at the animal–human-environment interface to support early detection and enable coordinated action to address zoonotic disease risks. 

Because animal health is our health. It is everyone’s health.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) continues to pose a serious and evolving threat to animal health, food security, livelihoods, and international trade. FMD (serotype SAT 1) has spread beyond its historical African range, causing outbreaks in countries previously free, including those in Southern Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The dynamic nature of this epidemiological situation underscores the need for sustained global vigilance and adapted actions.

Transparent, timely and accurate reporting of FMD outbreaks is essential to safeguarding global animal health. Early notification through WOAH systems enables rapid risk assessment and coordinated responses, strengthens trust among trading partners, and allows timely mobilisation of technical support. Equally important are strong early warning and surveillance systems, continuous risk monitoring, and science-based, risk-based approaches that anticipate emerging threats before they escalate. 

WOAH reaffirms its commitment to supporting Members in strengthening preparedness, surveillance, and control, and to facilitating coordination with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and other partners through the GF-TADs. Maintaining vigilance and transparency is a shared responsibility—critical to reducing the impact of FMD and protecting animal health, livelihoods, and food security worldwide.

Call to action to WOAH Members  

WOAH reminds Members of their commitment and obligation to ensure timely and transparent notification of confirmed FMD cases through the World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS), including serotype and strain information where available. 

In light of the evolving epidemiological situation associated with FMD virus serotype SAT 1, WOAH recommends Members to: 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) jointly announce the establishment of the FAO/WHO/WOAH Joint One Health Learning Taskforce, a coordination mechanism dedicated to strengthening One Health workforce capacity in support of effective One Health implementation at global, regional, and national levels. 

The Taskforce responds to the growing need to equip the human, animal, plant, and environment health workforce with the cross-cutting and profession-specific competencies required to prevent, predict, detect, and respond to complex health threats at the human–animal–environment interface. 

The Joint One Health Learning Taskforce adopts a competency-based, learner-centred approach, supporting both the integration of One Health principles into formal education and the provision of lifelong learning opportunities that enable professionals to address current and emerging challenges. 

The Taskforce leverages and connects the complementary strengths of the FAO eLearning Academy and Virtual Learning Centres, the WHO Academy, and the WOAH Training Platform, by building on existing successful programmes while promoting innovation, flexibility, and responsiveness to country and regional needs. By doing so, it supports the translation of One Health principles into practical action and implementation. 

In line with its Terms of Reference, the Taskforce aims to: 

To ensure agility and effectiveness, the Taskforce pools technical, pedagogical, technological, intellectual, and financial resources, promotes the combined use of existing platforms and tools at regional and country levels, maximising value for Members. 

Through this initiative, FAO, WHO, and WOAH reaffirm their joint commitment to strengthening One Health implementation through workforce development, recognising that a skilled, collaborative, and empowered workforce is a cornerstone of resilient health systems and improved outcomes for humans, animals, plants, and the environment.

For more information about the Joint One Health Taskforce, please consult the Terms of Reference: One Health Learning Taskforce

At the One Health Summit held on 7 April 2026, hosted by France, global leaders, partners, and international organisations reaffirmed their commitment to advancing a more integrated, preventive approach to health at the human–animal–environment interface. 

In the context of converging global crises—including unsustainable food production systems, climate change, biodiversity loss, and the growing threat of emerging and endemic infectious diseases—participants underscored the urgent need to move from fragmented responses to coordinated, systemic action. 

Today, nearly 75% of emerging infectious diseases originate in animals. At the same time, longstanding zoonotic diseases such as rabies and tuberculosis, along with vector-borne diseases, continue to cause preventable human deaths each year. These risks are further compounded by increasingly complex biological threats, whether natural, accidental, or deliberate.

Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran, Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), emphasised that animal health is not a sectoral issue, but a cornerstone of global health security, economic resilience, and sustainable development. 

Despite this, investment in prevention remains critically insufficient. Animal diseases are responsible for an estimated 20% loss in global livestock production, costing approximately USD 300 billion annually. Yet Veterinary Services receive on average only 0.05% of national GDP. By contrast, the estimated annual investment required to strengthen veterinary systems—USD 2.3 billion—is minimal relative to the cost of global crises and offers returns of up to 86%. 

In this context, WOAH strongly welcomes the leadership of France in convening the One Health Summit at a critical moment for collective action. 

President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the importance of health sovereignty, international solidarity, and strategic investment in prevention, stressing that global health security must be built through stronger multilateral cooperation and reinforced national systems. He called for scaling up efforts to anticipate risks at their source and to ensure that countries are equipped to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats in an increasingly interconnected world.  

Participants reaffirmed that health threats often emerge at the human–animal–environment interface, making strong animal health systems a first line of defence. Investing in these systems enables early detection, reduces pathogen amplification, and prevents local outbreaks from escalating into global crises. 

Concrete initiatives from WOAH and its partners presented at the Summit demonstrate how the One Health approach is being translated into action:

The Summit reaffirmed a clear message: health security begins with prevention, and prevention begins with One Health. 

“What we need now is investment, integration, and political commitment at scale.” – Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran, WOAH Director General

Investing in animal health and One Health systems delivers multiple benefits:

The transition from commitment to implementation is now critical. By shifting from reaction to prevention, and from fragmentation to integration, the global community can build a more resilient and secure future for all.

Today, the Fourth Quadripartite Executive Annual Meeting will convene in Lyon, France, from 8-9 April 2026. The meeting will focus on preventing future health crises through more integrated systems for managing the health of animals, humans, plants and ecosystems.

Preventing future health crises requires urgent, coordinated action that recognizes the deep interconnections between the health of people, animals, plants and ecosystems. As global challenges intensify – including emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change – this coordinated work between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) – also known as the One Health approach – has become increasingly important.

“One Health is not a new idea, but the urgency to make it work everywhere is. From WOAH’s perspective, strengthening Veterinary Services and animal health systems is a cornerstone of the One Health approach.” said Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran, Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health. “By working together across sectors, we can better detect risks early, reduce their impact, and protect livelihoods, public health, and ecosystems.” 

Building on the One Health Joint Plan of Action, the Quadripartite is advancing progress across four interdependent priority areas: 

• advancing implementation at country level: Translating commitments into action remains a central priority. The Quadripartite continues to support countries in operationalizing the One Health approach through strengthened multisectoral coordination, national planning processes, and capacity development. Scaling up implementation is critical to achieving tangible and measurable impact; 

• strengthening science, evidence and knowledge exchange:  Effective One Health action relies on robust scientific evidence and integrated data across sectors. The Quadripartite is fostering collaboration with the scientific community, strengthening data systems, and promoting the use of evidence to inform decision-making, guide interventions and monitor progress; 

• enhancing policy engagement and governance: Sustained political commitment and strong governance are essential to embed One Health into national and international agendas. The Quadripartite is supporting countries in developing enabling policy frameworks, strengthening cross-sectoral coordination mechanisms, and promoting coherent approaches across ministries and sectors; and mobilizing sustainable financing for One Health: Adequate and coordinated financing is necessary to sustain implementation and scale up impact. The Quadripartite is working with governments and partners to strengthen investment frameworks, align resources, and support countries in integrating One Health into national budgeting and development strategies. 

Together, these priorities enable countries to prevent risks at source, detect emerging threats early, and respond effectively to health threats, while building resilient systems. Strengthened surveillance and early warning systems, resilient food and agricultural systems, healthy ecosystems, and robust veterinary and public health services are essential components of this approach. 

Scaling up One Health requires sustained commitment across all four areas. The Quadripartite calls on governments, international financial institutions, development partners and the private sector to support integrated action by strengthening implementation, investing in science and data, reinforcing governance and policy frameworks, and ensuring sustainable financing. 

Advancing One Health is essential to reducing risks at the human–animal–environment interface and to building more resilient, inclusive and sustainable societies. The Quadripartite organizations reaffirm their commitment to working together and with partners worldwide to deliver coordinated, impactful and sustainable One Health action. 

---

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) launched its new Ambassadors’ Dialogue Series, bringing together diplomats to place animal health firmly on the global political agenda and to promote investment in prevention as a strategic priority.  Hosted on 11 February 2026 in Paris, the inaugural meeting marked the first in a planned series of high-level diplomatic dialogues aimed at strengthening links between animal health and major global policy debates on health security, food systems, trade, climate resilience and sustainable development. 

Opening the session, WOAH Director General Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran stressed that animal health is not a technical issue confined to Veterinary Services, but a strategic concern with far-reaching implications. Discussions focused on how animal health can be more systematically reflected in political and financial decision-making, at a time when emerging diseases, antimicrobial resistance and climate pressures are reshaping global risk landscapes. 

Investing in Veterinary Services, surveillance systems and prevention measures is among the most cost-effective ways to reduce the risk of pandemics, protect trade flows and stabilise food systems.

Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran, WOAH Director General

When animal health is absent from international discussions, prevention is often underfunded, increasing the human and economic costs of future health crises. Against this backdrop, participants explored how diplomatic engagement can help shift this dynamic by integrating animal health into broader global priorities, including pandemic preparedness, sustainable trade, and food system transformation.

Diplomats welcomed the launch of the Ambassadors’ Dialogue Series as an important step towards structured engagement with WOAH and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting animal health as a strategic issue for global resilience. Several ambassadors underlined the importance of raising political visibility for animal health within national and multilateral decision-making processes.

In this context, Her Excellency Ana Elena Pinto Lizano, Ambassador of Costa Rica, recalled the objective of the meeting to enhance the visibility of WOAH’s work and to ensure that animal health is recognised as a global public good for countries. She emphasised the importance of supporting Member Delegates in further elevating animal health within their national agendas, including as a strategic component of foreign policy. She noted that, while technical expertise remains the foundation of WOAH’s work, complementing it with strengthened policy dialogue can enhance coordination with key stakeholders such as Ministries of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic missions, thereby reinforcing coherence and impact at the international level.

The meeting also provided an opportunity for WOAH to present its strategic orientations for 2026–2031, including its objective to position animal health and welfare as global public goods under a One Health approach—an imperative widely recognised by the diplomats in the room.

Without good animal health, we are all at risk to public health emergencies. As Ambassadors, we can do our part by contributing to the increased visibility on the importance of animal health as we approach the evaluation of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030.

Her Excellency Mavis Ama FRIMPONG, Ambassador of Ghana

“Animal health is central to common security, elimination of hunger and disease prevention. We need to put animal health at the centre of the global development agenda. We need to secure more funding and identify stronger voices from all continents to advocate for animal health.”, adds Her Excellency Mavis Ama FRIMPONG.

Political engagement was identified as essential to ensuring that animal health is reflected in international declarations, financing frameworks, and development strategies, with ambassadors seen as key allies in advancing this shift.

The Ambassadors’ Dialogue Series is intended as a recurring diplomatic platform, enabling regular exchange between WOAH and the diplomatic community. Future sessions will continue to explore how animal health contributes to global public goods and how investment in prevention at the animal source can strengthen resilience across health, trade, and food systems.

Closing the meeting, WOAH reaffirmed its commitment to building long-term partnerships with its Members through their diplomatic representatives and to strengthening the political foundations of animal health worldwide.

Through the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on One Health, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) reaffirm their shared commitment to advancing the implementation of the One Health approach.

Building on longstanding cooperation and successful joint efforts, and recognizing the interdependence of the health of humans, animals, plants, ecosystems, and the wider environment, the Quadripartite organisations remain committed to coordinated, multisectoral action to address current and emerging health challenges at the interface.

The renewed MoU continues to provide the legal and operational framework for collaboration, leveraging the respective mandates and comparative advantages of each organisation. It reinforces possibilities for cooperation across key priority areas, including health systems strengthening; prevention, preparedness and response to epidemics and pandemics; control of endemic and neglected diseases; antimicrobial resistance; food safety; and the systematic integration of environmental considerations into One Health policies and actions.

Guided by principles of cooperation, shared responsibility, inclusiveness, equity, and gender equality, the Quadripartite will continue to advance evidence-based policies and coordinated support to countries and partners to accelerate the implementation of the One Health approach.

Through this renewed Memorandum of Understanding, FAO, UNEP, WHO, and WOAH reaffirm their collective determination to reduce health risks and promote sustainable health outcomes for humans, animals, plants, ecosystems, and the wider environment worldwide. This renewed Memorandum of Understanding shall remain in force until 28 November 2030. The full text of the revised MoU and the letter of renewal are available: MoU between FAO, UNEP, WHO, WOAH regarding cooperation on One Health

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) reiterates with renewed sense of urgency that while transporting animals—by land, sea, or air—can be a key for global trade, food production, research, and others, it is critical to ensure  the rigorous implementation of welfare standards throughout their transport process to safeguard animal health and well-being.

Long-distance transport can represent  serious risks due to—missing or incomplete health certificates, unclear customs rules, commercial disagreements, and unexpected problems. These issues must be carefully planned for and managed from the start to protect animal welfare.

Animal welfare during transport is essential. It keeps animals healthy and safe. Everyone involved—animal owners, operators, transporters, government agencies, and Veterinary Services—share this responsibility. WOAH is updating its standards to keep up with today’s complex transport challenges.

To make sure animals are well cared for at every step—starting with certification—these points are important:

27 October 2025, Paris – Amid growing concern over a fragile and conflict-prone world, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) will host a landmark global gathering to advance inclusive dialogue and the formation of transformative alliances for a more secure, healthier future.

The Global Conference on Biological Threat Reduction will take place on 28-30 October 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland. Bringing together experts from a variety of fields, the event will offer a platform to discuss rising security risks and strategies to bridge the biological threat reduction gap.  

Animal pathogens continue to cause devastation worldwide, with the risks associated with their misuse continuing to be real and evolving. The data paint a staggering picture: with over 75% of emerging diseases and 80% of agents with bioterrorist potential being zoonotic in nature, animal health emerges as a key pillar of global health security. Other figures show that production animals account for 40% of the global agriculture value, and nearly 1 in 5 people depend on production animals for their income.

In our increasingly connected and complex world, global health security is also a matter of national security, which makes veterinarians the frontline of defense. Yet, protecting against biological threats requires united action across sectors: security, human, animal and environmental health.

Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran, Director General at WOAH.

The interconnectedness between animal, human and environmental health and security underscore the urgent need to prepare for unpredictable scenarios that could quickly escalate into disasters. In 2019, the Global Health Security Index warned that most countries were not ready for a serious outbreak. Less than a year later, the COVID-19 pandemic caught the world off guard, showing how fundamentally weak public health systems were in the face of an unprecedented crisis.  Though not intentional, COVID-19 serves as a powerful reminder of how profoundly a biological agent – if weaponised – could disrupt economies and societies on a global scale.

Today, fast-advancing technologies such as artificial intelligence and synthetic biology add new urgency to action. Regulation is also being outpaced by the speed of technological advances. With fractured barriers to access and development, it has become increasingly possible for anyone with a malicious intent to create and deploy bioweapons. Animals, in particular, could become targets of malicious attacks designed to destabilise food systems and economies.

Over three days, the conference will explore cross-cutting themes high on the global policy agenda. From climate change to misinformation, from cybersecurity to laboratory sustainability, little is off the table. Hosted at the CICG Conference Centre, near Geneva’s Palace of Nations, the event will foster discussions on the roles that different sectors working in unison can play to prevent and respond to biological threats.

WOAH has a vast lead in advancing biological threat reduction. Flagship initiatives including ‘Building Resilience against Agro-crime and Agro-terrorism’ in partnership with FAO and INTERPOL and ‘Fortifying Institutional Resilience against Biological Threats’, funded by the government of Canada, have helped strengthen national preparedness and institutional capacities in the face of an unpredictable future. WOAH also works closely in collaboration with WHO on laboratory biological risk management, sustainable laboratories (BioPrevail) and Dual Use Research of Concern/promoting responsible conduct in science.

“The eradication of rinderpest, a deadly livestock disease – the first major achievement in animal health and the very reason WOAH was founded – has showed the world what global collaboration can accomplish. It reminds us that only through collective effort and trust was it possible to eliminate a devastating disease,” said Soubeyran.  

As 2025 marks an important year in disarmament with the 50^th anniversary of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and the 100^th anniversary of the Geneva Protocol, WOAH’s conference is poised to inspire fruitful collaborations and stronger national commitments to biological threat reduction plans.

“In a world shaped by geopolitical shifts and rising risks enabled by technology, animal health is something we should protect at all costs,” concluded Soubeyran. “It’s not just about animal health – it’s about our security, too. By strengthening biological threat reduction, we protect entire communities. We protect our shared planet.”

---

Notes to editors: To arrange any interviews/briefings, please contact: Communication Department, World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), [email protected].

16 October 2025

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) acknowledges the recent increase in human and animal cases of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in Senegal and Mauritania, which has resulted in several human deaths. These outbreaks appear to be linked to heavy rainfall and flooding in preceding months which  have created favourable conditions for disease transmission. As RFV is a transboundary animal disease, regional cooperation will be essential to assess and manage the risk posed by these outbreaks.

RVF is a vector-borne viral zoonosis that primarily affects livestock such as buffalo, camels, cattle, goats, and sheep, but can also infect humans and wildlife. The disease can cause severe illness in both animals and people and lead to significant economic losses due to livestock deaths and abortions. Human infections typically occur when the disease is widespread among animals, usually through direct or indirect contact with infected animal tissues.

Veterinary Services in affected countries are actively assessing the extent of the outbreaks and are implementing measures to limit their spread and reduce their impact. Close cooperation with public health authorities is  essential to ensure early detection, provide treatment, and where possible, prevent further human infections.

RVF epidemics occur periodically and are strongly influenced by climatic and environmental factors —  such as rainfall and flooding — which affect mosquito populations, and the immunity of susceptible animal species.

Coordinating a global response

Combining satellite and on-the-ground data is an important approach to improve early warning systems and to prepare for  RVF outbreaks. Early warning must be linked to action and communicated across all relevant sectors.

In 2022, WOAH, in partnership with its Collaborating Centre for Epidemiology, Modelling and Surveillance (IZS-Teramo, Italy), launched PROVNA, an initiative that uses risk-based surveillance to predict  mosquito-borne disease outbreaks like RVF in North Africa through an eco-regionalisation approach.

Early warning is vital because the most effective approach to preventing RVF in humans and animals is to vaccinate at-risk animals before outbreaks occur.

WOAH is working closely with its Regional Representation for Africa, national Delegates in Mauritania and Senegal, its Collaborating Centres, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to monitor the situation. WOAH stands ready to provide additional support as needed.

RVF is a priority disease of the Global Framework for the Progressive Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases (GF-TADs) platform in Africa.

• Be prepared:
  • Review and update emergency preparedness plans to ensure rapid response capacity.
  • Ensure sufficient resources are available for implementation of plans.

More technical information on Rift Valley fever and its control measures is available on the WOAH, FAO and WHO websites.