World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)

The World Organisation for Animal Health, commonly known as WOAH, is based in Paris, France. Despite its Parisian headquarters, WOAH operates globally, collaborating with numerous countries to monitor and report on animal health conditions that significantly influence the dairy industry.

Important Events

WOAH recently recognized Russia as free from foot-and-mouth disease. This status is pivotal for Russia, enhancing its ability to export dairy and other animal products on the international stage, thereby expanding its dairy market reach.

WOAH actively publishes reports on outbreaks of zoonotic diseases that can affect the dairy sector, including African horse sickness, sheep and goat pox, lumpy skin disease, Newcastle disease, and highly pathogenic avian influenza. These reports are crucial for managing international trade restrictions and ensuring the safety of dairy products across borders.

Recent reports from WOAH have identified new cases of bluetongue, a viral disease affecting cattle and sheep, with outbreaks in Romania and Italy. Moreover, WOAH has issued a global alert regarding the H5N1 avian influenza subtype in cattle, classifying it as an emerging disease, necessitating a reassessment of international biosecurity and surveillance protocols to prevent unjustified trade restrictions.

Company Plans

WOAH is dedicated to enhancing its global surveillance and reporting systems to effectively manage and mitigate risks associated with animal health. These initiatives aim to support the dairy industry in accessing and maintaining global markets by ensuring safe production and trade practices.

Additionally, WOAH sets standards, such as those by OMSA, providing guidelines for animal welfare during transport, including maximum travel times, load density, and transporter training. The adoption of these standards by several countries in Latin America highlights WOAH's influence on international animal welfare practices.

Certification by WOAH would enable India to commence dairy exports to markets requiring disease-free status, which is crucial since it has been a significant barrier for India, the world's largest milk producer, to enter certain markets. Recognition by WOAH is essential for India’s dairy export strategy, allowing processors in disease-free zones to meet the sanitary and import-control requirements applied by destination countries.

Modified: 2026/08/19

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