Insights on Members’ zones for avian influenza, African swine fever and foot and mouth disease

WOAH’s international standards for zoning and compartmentalisation are designed to support Members in preventing and controlling the spread of diseases, thereby contributing to the safe trade of animals and related commodities. However, previous work by the Observatory has highlighted the challenges in effectively implementing zoning and compartmentalisation standards. Members’ capacity to meet and adhere to these standards remains limited.

The WOAH Observatory aims to monitor the implementation of WOAH standards, and has therefore decided to focus its first thematic study on these two key concepts. In the project’s first phase, a survey was conducted to assess the use of zoning for avian influenza (AI), African swine fever (ASF) and foot and mouth disease (FMD), alongside the associated challenges, benefits and drawbacks.