World Organisation For Animal Health - Animal Health International

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) is an intergovernmental organization coordinating, supporting and promoting animal disease control.

Mission and status

The main objective of the OIE is to control epizootic diseases and thus to prevent their spread. It is recognized as a reference organisation by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and in 2014 had a total of 180 member states. The OIE maintains permanent relations with 45 other international and regional organisations and has Regional and sub-regional Offices on every continent. The OIE does not depend on the UN system; its autonomy is both institutional and financial and its activities are governed by its own constitutional texts. Since its first General Session, held in Paris, The Office carries on its work under the authority of a Committee consisting of delegates of the contracting Governments.

History

The need to fight animal diseases at global level led to the creation of the Office International des Epizooties through the international Agreement signed on January 25, 1924. In May 2003 the Office became the World Organisation for Animal Health but kept its historical acronym OIE. In January 2017, the outgoing Obama administration designated the OIE as an organization entitled to benefits of the International Organizations Immunities Act.

World Animal Health Information Database (WAHID) Interface

Timely dissemination of information is crucial to containing outbreaks. The WAHID Interface provides access to all data held within OIE's new World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS). It replaces and significantly extends the former web interface named Handistatus II System.

A comprehensive range of information is available from:

• Immediate notifications and follow-up reports submitted by Member Countries in response to exceptional disease events occurring in these countries as well as follow-up reports about these events,
• Six-monthly reports describing the OIE-listed disease situations in each country
• Annual reports providing further background information on animal health, on laboratory and vaccine production facilities.

References

External links

• OIE official website
• OIE Mission Statement
• World Animal Health Information System Interface