Fighting substandard and falsified veterinary products

The use of substandard and falsified veterinary products (SFVPs) poses a serious threat to animal and public health. These products undermine efforts to control, contain, or eradicate major animal diseases—including zoonoses—and compromise the success of critical vaccination campaigns, such as those targeting peste des petits ruminants (PPR), foot and mouth disease (FMD), and rabies; not to mention the threat they pose to national security. When SFVPs involve antimicrobial agents, they also contribute to the global rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), further endangering both animal and human health. 

To support national authorities in preventing, detecting, and responding to these threats, WOAH launched the programme on Substandard and Falsified Veterinary products in 2022.  

The SFVP programme’s objectives are to: 

Our vision for the SFVP Programme 

VSAFE-pilot: the pilot tool for reporting and monitoring substandard and falsified veterinary products globally 

As part of the SFVP programme, WOAH launched a pilot monitoring and surveillance initiative (VSAFE-pilot) focused on identifying substandard and falsified veterinary medicinal products that are circulating in a country or across borders. VSAFE-pilot helps Members strengthen post-market surveillance of veterinary product quality by offering tools and guidance to identify SFVPs, improve reporting, and facilitate regulatory follow-up. By reinforcing the integrity of veterinary supply chains, VSAFE-pilot plays a critical role in protecting animal health, ensuring the effectiveness of disease control strategies, and upholding public trust in veterinary products. 

Inspired by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global surveillance and monitoring system (GSMS) for medical products, WOAH aligned with the recommendations made by its Members during the 92^nd General Session, and successfully completed the global alert system on SFVPs.  Today, while the recommendations primarily focused on reporting incidents of SFVPs in vaccines within their territories, Members can also report SFVPs in parasitics and other antimicrobials through VSAFE-pilot. Its key objectives are to:   

VSAFE-pilot monitoring tool 

WOAH is developing a monitoring tool to collect data on veterinary medicinal products (VMPs) that are unsafe and circulating across borders. The interactive dashboard below highlights the types and sources of veterinary medicinal products along with key laboratory testing results.

Calling countries to join VSAFE-pilot 

Today, more than 80 WOAH members are actively engaged in VSAFE-pilot. WOAH strongly encourages all Members to join, as the system becomes more robust and impactful with broader participation. 

By joining VSAFE-pilot, Members gain access to a comprehensive suite of features designed to support SFVPs surveillance and response: 

• Real-time alerts on SFVPs reported to WOAH, both regionally and globally and notifications from partner organisations, including WHO and well-established regulatory networks. 

• Incident tracking and response, with follow-up assessments and tailored recommendations from WOAH. 

• Access for consultation to available datasets, enabling in-country analysis of SFVPs trends and risk factors. 

• A curated repository with links of public databases of registered veterinary products, guidance documents, and surveillance tools, alongside capacity-building opportunities through targeted workshops and webinars. 

• Direct communication channels, to express national needs related to SFVPs detection and reporting to WOAH and dedicated support from WOAH’s SFVPs team for queries, feedback, or technical assistance.