Advances in aquatic animal health within the framework of the World Organisation for Animal Health

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) seeks to improve animal health by promoting safe trade in animals and their products, setting standards for diagnostic methods, detection of emerging diseases and confirmation of listed diseases in clinically affected animals and surveillance in healthy populations. WOAH launched the Aquatic Animal Health Strategy (AAHS) in 2021 in recognition of the growing importance of aquatic animal products in global food security. Disease is currently a major limiting factor in the sustainable growth and development of the aquaculture industry, impacting the industry’s ability to increase yields to meet future food demands. A key aim of the AAHS is to ensure that scientifically sound standards are set to manage risks and facilitate safe trade, improve aquatic animal health and welfare, build capacity to strengthen aquatic animal health services at WOAH and ensure that responses to aquatic animal health issues are coordinated and timely, at both regional and global level. This article evaluates some of the latest scientific and policy advances as well as obstacles for the implementation of the AAHS.