Disease Status Management Platform: Streamlining the Annual Reconfirmation Procedure

Supporting Members in the Maintenance of Their Official Status

Aligned with WOAH’s seventh Strategic Plan to optimise data governance through digital transformation, WOAH has been developing the Disease Status Management Platform (DSMP) since 2023. This platform–available for the moment only to countries with an official status–aims at facilitating the submission, archiving, tracking and searching of Members’ dossiers related to the official recognition and maintenance of animal health status, as well as to self-declarations. The first steps to streamline the procedure are expected to begin this year during the annual reconfirmation campaign.

The Annual Reconfirmation component of the DSMP has been updated with new functionalities, guidance material including video tutorials and written manuals, and a new form for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy risk status to accommodate the updated standards adopted in May 2023.

Streamlining the annual reconfirmation procedure

In response to a request by Members, the Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases (the Scientific Commission) and Status Department have committed to streamlining the annual reconfirmation process. This will be done while respecting the relevant requirements of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code (Terrestrial Code) and maintaining the credibility of the WOAH procedure. This work started during the 2024/2025 official recognition and annual reconfirmation cycle with the implementation of a three-step plan, whose findings are presented below:

1. Standardisation of the process: Guidance documents for the annual reconfirmations of Classical swine fever (CSF), foot and mouth disease (FMD) and peste des petits ruminants (PPR) free-status were developed and presented as an algorithm/deduction tree. These documents provide Members with a structured sequence of sub-questions and descriptions of complementary information needed based on their responses. Shared with Members during the 2024 annual reconfirmation campaign, it was observed that fewer follow-up questions from WOAH were required for the Members who used them.
2. Seeking disease expert opinion: The ad hoc Groups on status evaluation provided their opinion on the minimum documented evidence expected from Members when reconfirming their animal health status annually, demonstrating compliance with the Terrestrial Code for the maintenance of official status.
3. Data collection from Members’ annual reconfirmations: The Status Department shared statistics on the types of supportive information reported by Members with CSF, FMD and PPR-free status during the 2024 annual reconfirmation campaign.

Based on these findings, the Status Department and the Scientific Commission are now working to establish clear criteria for when the submission of documented evidence would be required and to revise the annual reconfirmation forms. The first steps to streamline the procedure are expected to begin this year during the annual reconfirmation campaign. Please consult the report of the Scientific Commission’s February 2025 meeting for further details.

One-on-One Support at the 92nd WOAH General Session

To further support Members with the submission of their annual reconfirmations and promote the DSMP, an exhibition stand will be available during the upcoming 92nd General Session of the World Assembly of Delegates in Paris. Attendees will gain direct insights into the latest DSMP developments and the streamlining of the annual reconfirmation procedure, receive one-on-one support on using the platform, and get step-by-step guidance on the annual reconfirmation process, including the required supporting documentation.

Contact: WOAH Status Department ([email protected])