Report of the meetings of the AHG on prioritisation of diseases for which vaccines could reduce global antibiotic use in animals (PROEVA)

The ad hoc group was convened by the Director General following the adoption of Resolution 29 at WOAH’s 92nd General Session (May 2025), which recommended that WOAH update its list of priority diseases for which vaccines could reduce antimicrobial use (AMU), in alignment with commitment #72 of the 79th United Nations General Assembly Political Declaration on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

WOAH previously convened ad hoc working groups to produce the first global lists of priority diseases for which vaccines could meaningfully lower AMU in swine, poultry, and fish (2015) and in cattle, sheep, and goats (2018). A decade on, the landscape has evolved considerably: novel and re-emerging pathogens, climate-linked disease pressures, rapidly advancing vaccine technologies, and fresh political commitments all demand an updated, forward-looking prioritisation. The present ad hoc group was therefore established to deliver an updated, evidence-based list of priority animal diseases for which vaccines could achieve the greatest global reduction in AMU in pigs, chickens, and fish, with a clear line of sight to the 2030 AMR targets and the next UNGA High-Level Meeting on AMR planned for 2029. The ad hoc group was multidisciplinary in nature, bringing together scientists, veterinary products regulators and representatives from both the food producing industry and vaccine R&D and manufacturing, while ensuring balanced representation across production sectors, regions and gender.