Reporting Matters

Strengthening Animal Health Management in Asia-Pacific

WOAH Members are obligated to notify aquatic and terrestrial animal disease events—one of the Organisation’s founding purposes since its establishment in 1924. These notifications ensure global transparency, helping countries take preventative measures against disease spread. However, compliance with notification requirements remains insufficient to fully ensure timely and complete animal disease reporting across the Asia-Pacific. Supporting early threat warning is a critical component of the project funded by the Australian Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), which supports the implementation of WOAH’s Seventh Strategic Plan.

This comprehensive study—based on surveys, focus groups and behavioural science—uncovers the core factors influencing reporting compliance. It highlights that although attitudes towards reporting are positive, modifiable factors such as organisational capability, knowledge and perceived ability are key to improving data submission. Notably, it identifies diagnostic, administrative and surveillance system gaps as the principal barriers, and presents seven actionable recommendations to strengthen animal health systems.

This study investigated the main barriers to timely and complete notification of both terrestrial and aquatic animal diseases across the Asia-Pacific region. Its goal was to identify strategies to improve compliance with international reporting obligations to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), a process critical for global transparency and mitigating disease spread.

Understanding the Drivers Behind Reporting Behaviour

Data were gathered through an online survey of 82 Delegates and Focal Points from the region and a series of focus group workshops. The study leveraged behavioural science frameworks, including the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Integrative Model of Organisational Trust, to understand the drivers behind reporting behaviour.

Key Findings and Unexpected Insights

The study revealed that organisational capability, organisational knowledge and perceived behavioural control (how easy or difficult someone believes reporting will be) are strong predictors of a country or territory’s intention to notify diseases. Importantly, these factors are modifiable, meaning targeted actions can significantly improve reporting rates.

Contrary to common assumptions, trust in trading partners was not linked to notification intention. This may be due to wide variation in perceived risk of reporting among respondents. Similarly, the overall importance placed on animal production and health within a country did not directly influence reporting intentions.

Positive Foundations for Notification and Identified Barriers

The study revealed many positive aspects of notification in the region. Attitudes towards notification are strongly positive, social norms supporting notification are well established, and the perceived benefits of notification are consistently strong.

Despite these strengths, several key barriers were identified. These include challenges with diagnosis and laboratory confirmation, decision-making and administrative processes and constraints in surveillance and reporting systems. Focus group discussions confirmed these as the three major obstacles to timely and complete notification.

Recommendations for Strengthening Systems and a Collaborative Path Forward

Drawing on these insights, the study developed thirteen actionable steps, consolidated into seven key recommendations aimed at building more resilient and responsive animal health systems across the region. These include:

1. Develop a plan for supporting Members to enhance the diagnostic capability of national Reference Laboratories.
2. Develop a plan to support Members to enhance their surveillance systems and capabilities.
3. Evaluate whether the WOAH PVS Pathway sufficiently emphasises notification capabilities to provide adequate guidance to Members for improving notification.
4. Develop a plan for routine training of WOAH Delegates and relevant WOAH Focal Points in areas relevant to notification. The plan should include evaluation methodology so that return on investment can be measured.
5. Develop fit-for-purpose guidance materials, exemplars and resources to support notification.
6. Design and implement an approach for ongoing recognition of Members with strong notification performance.
7. Establish a system for notification performance to allow continuous analysis of the status of compliance with notification requirements.

The findings advocate for a strengths-based, collaborative approach to cultivate a culture of timely and accurate disease reporting. Implementation of these recommendations is contingent on agreement by WOAH and its regional Members.

More information

The full report will be available on the following web page Strengthening early threat warning in Asia and the Pacific – WOAH – Asia

Contact: Jacqueline Lusat ([email protected]), Animal Health Information Officer, Regional Representation for Asia-Pacific, or Paolo Tizzani ([email protected]), Senior Veterinary Epidemiologist, Data Integration Department