WOAH ad hoc Group Meeting Report: Veterinary Emergencies (Standards), December 2024

The ad hoc Group on Veterinary Emergencies (Standards) was convened by the Director General following the request of the Terrestrial Animal Health Standards Commission (hereafter “the Code Commission”) to develop standards on emergency management for the Terrestrial Animal Health Code (hereafter the “Terrestrial Code”).

In September 2024, the Code Commission reviewed the ad hoc Group’s first meeting report and outline of a draft chapter on emergency management. The Code Commission commended the work achieved and requested the Group to continue its work in drafting the chapter and provided recommendations for its content. The WOAH Secretariat also presented the report to the Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission (AAHSC) noting that the draft chapter has linkages to the Aquatic Animal Health Code, notably its draft chapters on emergency preparedness and outbreak management.

The Group met in person from 2-5 December 2024 to review the purpose, scope and structure of the draft chapter, develop article structures and associated content as well as to identify key terminology for definition where required.