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Photo Competition
WOAH has created a global photo competition to spotlight the crucial work carried out by animal health and welfare actors worldwide. The competition highlights significant efforts taken to protect animal health and promote animal welfare through the implementation of WOAH’s standards. Grab your camera and start taking your photos. Submissions close on 31 March 2024.
Animal health and welfare, looking to the past and embracing the future
As WOAH celebrates its 100th anniversary, the theme of its photo competition is ‘Animal health and welfare, looking to the past and embracing the future’. The competition is open to WOAH’s global network and veterinary students studying in one of the 183 Members.
Submission of entries close on the 31 March 2024, noon Paris time. No entries will be accepted after this time.
2024 competition themes
Animal disease surveillance, prevention and control
Photos could depict surveillance activities, vaccination campaigns, prophylaxis, and diagnostic tests, including interaction between wildlife, environment and livestock.
Aquatic animal health and production systems
Photos could illustrate farmed fishing systems, amphibians, crustaceans, farmed fish, mollusc and their products.
Animal production systems
Photos could depict family, intensive or extensive farming systems as well as transhumance, pastoralism systems, with, when possible, a special highlight of sustainable practices.
Animal welfare
Photos could illustrate transport of animals, stray dog management, working animals and other topics addressed in the WOAH standards.
One Health
Photos could depict the crucial link between human and animal health, and the ecosystem in which they co-exist.
Veterinary education
Photos could illustrate young students in practice/training, veterinary education establishments and facilities etc.
Innovation
Photos could show how the animal health sector and animal health professionals are making use of new technological advances to improve their work.
Partnerships
Photos could present how the animal health sector is working with domains outside its own to gather expanded expertise, with the aim of better addressing global health threats.
Participate
The photo competition is open to WOAH’s global network, including practising veterinarians as well as veterinary students over 18 years enrolled to study in any of WOAH’s Members.
Participants can upload up to five photos. Five regional prizes of €800 and two Global prizes worth €1500 will be awarded at the Opening Ceremony of the WOAH General Session on Sunday 26 May 2024. A Public Choice Prize of €300 will be awarded on social media.
2024 Selection Committee
Georgina Steylter
Photographer
Georgina is an accomplished Australian nature photographer. For the last ten years, when not working herself as a wildlife carer, she has been working on various conservation projects as well as teaching the art and ethics of nature photography through workshops, books, talks and articles. She has won numerous awards, including Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Invertebrates: Behaviour), Bird Photographer of the Year (Portfolio) and the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year (Portfolio). She has also been a judge of several major wildlife photography competitions, both in Australia and overseas, including for Wildlife Vets International, WildArt Photographer of the Year and Close Up Photographer of the Year.
Georgina is passionate about creating images of the natural world that are artistic and/or capture the personality and unique characteristics of an animal in a way that will engage the interest and empathy of the viewer. In this modern age of social media, it is critical to have imagery that gets people’s attention and stops the ‘scroll’. She is also a passionate advocate for ethics in nature photography, ensuring that no image comes at the expense of the welfare of the subject.
Frédéric Decante
Veterinarian and press photographer
Frédéric, a French veterinarian and press photographer, has been involved in animal health for over 30 years, and while he is modest in the work he does on a daily basis, he is certain of his importance as a small, tiny link in the chain. He finds it important to give meaning and find relevance between globalised institutional action and the day-to-day micro-actions of those working in the field.
This motivated the seasoned veterinarian to seek a personal means of communication, which for him was photography, because it reduces everything to one moment, in one image, which, to be successful, has to tell a story. He told this story to those closest to him, and then to his colleagues, and in return, everyone responded by talking about themselves.
Out of a desire to testify of his work, he has published photo books depicting the veterinary profession, which many of his colleagues have used to explain their profession to their family members.
He sees being a member of the Selection Committee as an opportunity not to judge the work of his colleagues, but to encounter in his counterpart’s images “that tenuous thread of the poetry of the moment, both universal and professional, around animal health, human health… one and the same health. One photo for one health!
Jean-François Lagrot
Veterinarian and photographer
Jean-François is a French veterinarian and photographer, who at the age of eighteen, set out to Iran for adventures, which birthed in him a desire to live from his travels. He interspersed his veterinary placements with travels to various places such as Dakar, Cape Town and French Guiana for photography purposes. This culminated in the shooting of the series, ‘Aventures Sauvages’ (Wild Adventures) on French television, which is doing quite well.
He has produced three photo books up to date. He is drawn to wildlife photography and has worked on a conservation project in Cameroon as well as an elephant poaching project in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Photography is his first passion and with the travelling it allows him to create stories from images which allows those that are looking at the images to be transported into a surprising reality that has all the makings of a wonderful adventure!
His photos have been used for the EBO SURSY project and exhibited at the WOAH Emergency Management Global Conference held in April 2023 and the 90th General Session, held in May 2023.
Jayaprakash Bojan
Photographer
Jayaprakash is a nature photographer from India. Having grown up in a mountainous area on the western coast of India, he appreciated the harmony and beauty of nature from a young age. This led him to have a deep regard for nature and stirred in him a sense of responsibility and a connection with nature that led him down the path of conservation.
Unable to share the story of the beauty of nature in words, photography appropriately captured the essence and communicated what he could not express in words.
He is an award-winning photographer and accolades include the 2017 Nature Photographer of the Year.
Previous winners
Submit your photos
You have read through the rules and are now ready to submit your photos. Before sending in your photos, confirm that they fit into the theme and meet the technical requirements.
Contact us
For questions or more information on the photo competition, please reach out to:
We are pleased to announce the winners of the 6th edition of the Photo Competition, ‘Animal health and welfare, looking to the past and embracing the future’. This edition focused on themes such as Animal disease surveillance, prevention and control, animal welfare, One Health and Veterinary Education.
Scroll the page to discover the winning photos in each category.
Global Prize Winner | Network | Europe
Photographer: Jorge Bacelar
Caption: “Complicity”
In small farms, animals are treated like pets; therefore, there is a relationship of great complicity and affection. Manuel Pires Tavares is a farmer who lives in Estarreja, Portugal. While preparing food for the animals, his “Marinhoa” cow (a Portuguese breed) is keeping him company.
“As part of my daily calls as a rural vet, I often come across scenes from daily life of farmers that I’m eager to eternalise; having the feeling of how they can be ephemeral and how important they are for my cultural heritage.” – Jorge Bacelar.
Global Prize Winner | Veterinary students | Asia and the Pacific
Photographer: Famela Noviani Supama
Caption: Physical examination of a venomous pit viper, with the aid of acrylic snake tubes. The traditional method of holding a venomous snake behind the head is extremely dangerous for the handler and stressful for the animal, therefore this method of restraint is a much safer option to restrain venomous species where necessary.
Regional Prize Winner | Africa
Photographer: Daniel Waturu
Caption: A household taking care of their livestock by deworming them.
“Photography is a passion of mine. I have a keen eye for detail. My colleagues recognize my talent and often request photos for our work reports. What made this particular photo unique for me was the string of camel droppings tied around the sheep’s neck. Did you notice it? I had kept the photo because I wanted to ask about its cultural significance.” – Daniel Waturu
Regional Prize Winner | Americas
Photographer: Juan José Toro Letelier
Caption: A little light in this confinement.
I was carrying out exotic disease surveillance work (bird flu and Newcastle) at the laying hens of a poultry farm in the middle of the Atacama Desert, the driest in the world. I captured the only moment of the day where the sun directly hit their faces, at the time, it made me deeply question the welfare of caged hens.
“I found WOAH to be a very important institutional ally and a constant reference in my work as a veterinarian. I trust their information related to animal health and epidemiological surveillance.” – Juan José Toro Letelier.
Regional Prize Winner | Asia and the Pacific
Photographer: Raffi Akbar
Caption: Doctor Theresia, a veterinarian, carrying a young orangutan named Popi towards the forest school. The forest school is one of the rehabilitation programs for orphaned orangutans in Berau, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. The forest school aims to restore the natural instincts of rehabilitated orangutans to adapt to their natural habitat.
“The photo competition is a recognition of our collective efforts in raising awareness about the importance of animal welfare through the art of photography. This experience has inspired me to continue exploring and documenting pivotal moments in animal welfare, particularly focusing on orangutans and their challenges.” – Raffi Akbar
Regional Prize Winner | Europe
Photographer: Ján Kristián Kmet’
Caption: Cooperation.
“Merging photography with my hobbies has been a great way to make that one special moment last while doing what I love. Veterinary medicine has brought me many beautiful sights and having a chance to learn about falconry at my university could be possibly one of the best things that happened to me. The combination of both brought me this picture and I am very happy that I can share it now with people that believe in the unique bond between humans and animals, which should be treated with love and respect.” – Ján Kristián Kmet’
Regional Prize Winner | Middle East
Photographer: Fatemeh Jalal
Caption: Milking sheep (strengthening empathy)
Strengthening empathy or forcing love?
Despite the extreme climatic conditions, this land is inhabited by very kind humans near a peaceful village. Three men were holding these stubborn sheep in order to milk them and relieve them from the pressure of it, but actually the pressure from their great love. I believe that animals are the most amazing form of therapy treatment that any person can receive.
Public Choice Prize Winner
The Public Choice Prize winner was selected by a voting system open to the public.
Photographer: Yadamsuran Davgadorj
Caption: Vaccination – This photo was taken during the 2022 outbreak of LSD in the eastern part of Mongolia, where mass immunization was being organized.
“Proud to be a winner as WOAH celebrates its 100th Anniversary. Happy 100th anniversary to all veterinarians and veterinary workers.” – Yadamsuran Davgadorj
How to enter and prizes
The photo competition is open to members of WOAH’s global network, including practising veterinarians, and veterinary students currently studying in one of the countries of WOAH’s Members. The prizes range from €800 to €1,500, depending on the category. Prizes will be awarded at the 91st General Session.
The Selection Committee’s decision, which will be final, will be published on the website no later than 20 May 2024. Winners will be notified in advance by email.
Who can enter
You are a member of WOAH‘s global network
You are a veterinary medicine student
You are a member of WOAH global network
The following people are eligible to enter the 2024 Photo Competition:
- National delegates of a Member country
- National focal points of a Member country
- Veterinarians and other employees of the Veterinary Services of a Member Country*
- Experts (members of the Commissions, Working Groups and Ad hoc Groups and speakers who have presented a Technical Item at the General Session or at a Regional Commission)
- Employees of WOAH Reference Centres
- Employees of partner organisations that have a cooperation agreement with WOAH, as listed in the cooperation agreements.
*This category includes, among others, practising veterinarians who can provide proof that they have received a diploma in veterinary medicine from a veterinary school in a WOAH Member Country.
You are a student studying veterinary medicine
- You must be over 18
- You must be a full-time student studying veterinary medicine at a university in a Member Country in the 2023–2024 academic year
Steps to enter
Step 1
Select between one to five photos on the theme specified in the announcement and ensure to read the rules.
Step 2
Fill in the entry form online, ensuring to complete all the fields and accept the conditions contained in the rules of the photo competition.
Step 3
Upload and submit your photos (no more than five), on the photo competition website, noting the caption for each photo, by 31 March 2024, noon (Paris time).
Step 4
Confirm that you have received an email acknowledging receipt of your application.
Prizes
The prizes range from €800 to €1,500, depending on the category. Complimentary cheques will be awarded at the Opening Ceremony of the 91st General Session on Sunday 26 May 2024.
Global Prize
Each prize winner will receive the sum of €1,500. A winner will be chosen in each of the competition’s categories:
- Global Prize – Network
- Global Prize – Veterinary students
Regional Prize
Each prize winner will receive the sum of €800. For each of the five regions, one winner will be chosen from amongst all participants, whatever their category:
- Regional Prize – Africa
- Regional Prize – the Americas
- Regional Prize – Asia & Pacific
- Regional Prize – Europe
- Regional Prize – Middle East
Public Choice
One prize winner will receive a sum of €300. The choice will be made by the Organisation’s followers on Facebook.
The Public Choice will be announced and awarded on social media only.
Submit your photos
You have read through the rules and are now ready to submit your photos. Before sending in your photos, confirm that they fit into the theme and meet the technical requirements.
Contact us
For questions or more information on the Photo Competition, please reach out to:
Competition rules
In 2024, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) is holding its sixth Photo Competition. WOAH reserves the right to cancel or amend the Competition or its rules without notice.
The theme of the 2024 competition is “Animal health and welfare: looking to the past, embracing the future”.
WOAH has brought its major mission, improving animal health and welfare, in a photo competition, whose aim is to visually and creatively show the importance of the work done to protect animal health and welfare worldwide through the implementation of its International Standards, the crucial link between animal health and welfare, as well as the significance of these latter elements to face the challenges of the future, and preserve human health and ecosystems.
The winners of the 2024 Photo Competition will therefore be the photographers who best illustrate, both from an artistic and a descriptive point of view, the work carried out by animal health and welfare players, in particular by Veterinary Services both in their public and private components, to protect animal health and promote animal welfare worldwide in the context of the implementation of WOAH’s standards, thus ensuring public health.
As WOAH is celebrating its hundred years of existence, photos to be submitted are expected to show how the animal health sector has evolved over the years, and how it utilises lessons from the past but is ready to embrace the changes and innovations brought about by the present and the future, when it comes to maintaining animal health and welfare globally.
Photos should highlight the human/animal interactions that typify the activities of animal health and welfare professionals under the following themes:
– Animal disease surveillance, prevention and control. Photos could depict surveillance activities, vaccination campaigns, prophylaxis, and diagnostic tests, including interaction between wildlife (birds, rodents, etc.), environment and livestock.
– Animal welfare. Photos could illustrate transport of animals, stray dog management, working animals, and other topics addressed in WOAH’s welfare standards’ chapters.
– Animal production systems. Photos could demonstrate familial, extensive or intensive farming systems, as well as transhumance, pastoralism systems, etc., with when possible, a special spotlight on sustainable practices.
– Aquatic animal health and production systems. Photos could show farmed fishing systems, amphibians, crustaceans, farmed fish, molluscs and their products.
– One Health. Photos could depict the essential link between human and animal health and the ecosystem in which they co-exist.
– Veterinary education. Photos could illustrate young students in practice/ training, veterinary education establishments and facilities etc.
– Innovation. Photos could show how the animal health sector and animal health professionals are making use of new technological advances to improve their work.
– Partnerships. Photos could present how the animal health sector is working with domains outside its own to gather expanded expertise, with the aim of better addressing global health threats.
Photos illustrating the scenarios highlighted in the above-mentioned themes will be given preference when selecting the winners. The jury will also consider the creativity of the photo caption.
The competition is free and open to the following individuals over the age of 18 belonging to one of the categories below:
“Professionals” Category
– Delegates of Members
– Focal Points of Members
– Veterinarians or employees of the Veterinary Services of Members. This category includes, among others, any veterinary practitioner who can justify obtaining a veterinary diploma issued by any faculty of veterinary medicine located in a Member’s country.
– Employees of a Reference Centre
– WOAH’s eexpert networks (members of Specialist Commissions, Working Groups, Ad hoc groups and those working on technical items for the General Session or Regional Commissions)
– Employees of partner organisations with whom WOAH has a cooperation agreement
For definitions of the above-mentioned terms, see www.woah.org.
Employees of regional and international organisations with whom WOAH has a cooperation agreement should ensure that the submitted photos do not appear in any publication nor have they been utilised by their organisation in any form of digital communication and social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Instagram, thereby not infringing any copyright or intellectual property rights of the organisation.
Staff, both from Headquarters and the regions, is excluded from the competition and must not participate either directly or indirectly via members of the global network.
“Veterinary Students” Category
The competition is equally open to full-time veterinary students, above 18 years, who are enrolled in any of the faculties of veterinary medicine of a Member’s country during the 2023-2024 academic year.
For both categories indicated above, the number of entries is limited to one per person (same surname, same first name and same postal address, irrespective of which email address is used). In the event of multiple entries by the same person (same surname, same first name, same postal address, irrespective of which email address is used), all entries from that person will be automatically rejected.
The competition will be announced to WOAH’s network and Veterinary students on WOAH’s website: www.woah.org/en/photo-competition.
The competition entry procedure will also be published on WOAH’s Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as on a dedicated webpage: www.woah.org/en/photo-competition from 7 February 2024 until noon on 31 March 2024 (Paris time).
As neither Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn nor Twitter are the organisers or sponsors of the competition, they cannot be held liable for any problem related to the competition. The competition is not associated with, managed by or sponsored by Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter.
Participation in the competition is free and done exclusively online on the web page: www.woah.org/en/photo-competition.
To take part, entrants must:
Select between one and five photos corresponding to the theme;
Read and note the rules;
Fill in the entry form online, complete all the fields and accept the rules of the photo competition;
Upload and submit the photos (no more than five), meeting the technical requirements below, on the photo competition website with captions for each photo by noon on 31 March 2024 (Paris time);
Make sure that you receive the email confirming that your application has been received.
The photos entered must have the following technical characteristics:
– Colour
– Format: JPEG or TIFF
– Resolution: 300 ppi
– Minimum size of 2480 by 3508 pixels (21 x 29.7 cm), preferably the maximum size and resolution available
– Maximum file size of 10MB per photo. If the photo exceeds this amount, the upload will not be successful
If any of the above conditions is not met, the entry will be disregarded. The date and time of receipt of the complete entry will be taken into account for purposes of meeting the deadline.
No images that have been generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be accepted.
Any entry that is incomplete, submitted after the deadline or in any other form than that specified, will be disregarded.
No entries via Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or letter post will be accepted.
The entries that comply with these rules will then be judged by a Selection Committee whose composition is available on the website: www.woah.org/en/photo-competition.
The Selection Committee’s decision pertaining to the Regional and Global prizes will be final and will be published on the web page: www.woah.org/en/photo-competition no later than 20 May 2024.
The winners will be awarded the prizes mentioned in Article 7.
The prizes will be awarded during the Opening Ceremony of WOAH’s 91st General Session on Sunday, 26th May 2024. Winners will be notified in advance by email.
The Selection Committee for the Public Choice Prize will be constituted of the Organisation’s followers on Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. The winner will be announced on social media no later than 20th May 2024. Unlike the winners of the Global and Regional Prizes, the winner of the Public Choice Prize will not be awarded at the General Session. No communication prior to the announcement on social media will be entered into by WOAH with the winner of this prize.
WOAH will not take responsibility for verifying and authenticating the voter’s social media profile.
The photos must comply with the theme of the competition, “Animal health and welfare: looking to the past, embracing the future”, as detailed on page 1 of the competition announcement and in these rules.
The photos must not be obscene, violent, dangerous, racist, contrary to public order, likely to harm the development of minors, offend the dignity of persons or condone crimes against humanity. Photos that do not comply with this provision will be automatically excluded from the competition.
The entrant represents and warrants that:
he/she is the author of the photo(s) entered in the competition and therefore the exclusive owner of literary and artistic rights, namely the right to the name, the right of reproduction, the right of modification, the right to display the photo publicly, and the right to disseminate it via any medium anywhere in the world;
he/she has obtained the prior written consent of the persons identified in the entered photo(s), thus ensuring that WOAH cannot be held liable for the use of the said photo in the context of this competition.
As the author of the entered photo(s) and holder of the associated literary and artistic rights, each entrant consents, as a condition of entry for the competition, to the photo(s) being displayed at the 91st General Session in May 2024.
The entrant transfers to WOAH the non-exclusive rights to use all or part of the photos (in their original or modified form), to reproduction, dissemination in any medium and display, with a mention of the author’s name in the copyright, in any communication or publishing medium. These non-exclusive rights are granted for an unlimited period, worldwide, royalty-free, as from the date of submitting the entry and its acceptance by WOAH.
For the sake of clarity, reproduction and dissemination include the ability for WOAH to create posters from the photos and donate at its discretion these posters at any time. The entrants will have no right of compensation on the donation of posters or photos.
Entrants retain the right freely to use their photos and may at any time revoke the non-exclusive rights that they have granted to WOAH by sending a letter, dated and signed by entrants (who retain the literary and artistic rights), using a courier service with tracking and delivery against signature, to the following address:
Communication Department
World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)
12, rue de Prony
75017 Paris
France
Tel: +33 (0) 1 44 15 18 88
The deadline for completing the entry form and submitting photos is 31 March 2024 at noon (Paris time).
Regional Prizes
A winner (from either the Professionals or Veterinary Students categories) will be chosen from each of the regions:
Regional Africa Prize
Regional Americas Prize
Regional Asia & Pacific Prize
Regional Europe Prize
Regional Middle East Prize
Each winner will receive the sum of €800.
The regional membership of entrants will be determined according to: the Member (for Delegates, Focal Points or employees of veterinary services); the country where the Reference Centre is located (for employees of a Reference Centre); the country of residence (for experts); and for other categories, the country where the employee exercises his/her functions irrespective of their nationality. A further consideration used to determine the entrants’ region will be his/her primary affiliation to the country covered by the corresponding Regional Commission.
Global prizes:
Further, a winner will be chosen from the entries submitted by participants from the two categories: “Professionals” and “Veterinary students”.
Global Prize ‘Professionals’
Global Prize ‘Veterinary Students’
Each winner will receive the sum of €1500.
If a winner cannot be contacted by email or telephone within 7 days of the closing date, WOAH will allocate the prize to another entrant.
Complimentary cheques will be awarded during the Opening Ceremony of the 91st General Session on Sunday, 26 May 2024. At the end of the competition, the prizes will be transferred to the bank account designated by the chosen winners, before the last Friday of June 2024.
Public Choice Prize:
The Public Choice Prize is one in which the winner will be decided by vote on social media.
The following process shall be followed:
Round 1: Selected photos will be posted on WOAH’s Instagram,LinkedIn andTwitter accounts. Audiences will be provided with a method to cast their vote. The top 5 hotos will move to round 2.
Round 2: The top 5 photos from round 1 will be again posted on social media and audiences will be invited to cast their vote. The photo with the most votes will be declared the winner.
The winner will receive the sum of €300, which will be transferred to the bank account designated by the winner before the last Friday of June 2024.
The winner will not be contacted via social media, email or telephone within 7 days of the announcement of the winner. If he/she cannot be contacted, WOAH will allocate the prize to the photo with the second highest vote.
WOAH disclaims all liability for the content of published photos. WOAH reserves the right to disqualify any entrants who fail, wholly or partially, to comply with these rules.
No claims against WOAH will be possible except for claims for failure to comply with these rules. WOAH cannot be held liable in connection with the competition and the entrants will therefore not be entitled to claim any damages or compensation whatsoever.
WOAH disclaims all liability if for any reason a participant submitted erroneous data for his/her entry and the system does not allow the participant to enter. Incomplete entries or those with erroneous data will be disregarded.
WOAH disclaims all liability if for any reason a participant cannot access the web page of the Photo Competition or cannot upload the photos.
WOAH shall not be responsible for any technical problems such as but not limited to internet connectivity which prevent or hinder participation in the Photo Competition.
No claims whatsoever against WOAH will be possible. WOAH will not be held liable in connection with the Photo Competition and the participants will therefore not be entitled to claim any damages or compensation whatsoever.
These rules are available on the dedicated photo competition web page: www.woah.org/en/photo-competition.
WOAH processes the personal data of participants in accordance with good practice in this area.
The participants’ data will be collected and processed by WOAH’s Communication Department for the purposes of the Photo Competition, as well as by third-party service providers acting as sub- processors, whom WOAH may resort to for data processing. This processing is necessary for the legitimate aims of WOAH, which includes managing the registration and participation of the participants in the competition, contacting the winners, and providing information by email on the communication campaign concerning the photo competition.
Participants have the right to access their information, to correct and update it and to delete it. To exercise these rights, participants can contact WOAH at the following address: [email protected]
In the event the participant exercises his/her right of deletion his/her data before the end of the competition, it will be considered that the participant has renounced his/her right to participate in the competition.
For more information on the competition, please refer to the following page: www.woah.org/en/photo-competition.
Personal Data use
WOAH processes the personal data of participants in accordance with good practice in this area. WOAH’s contact details are: WOAH, 12 rue de Prony, 75017 Paris.
The contact details of its representative are: Director General, WOAH, 12 rue de Prony, 75017 Paris.
The participants’ data are collected and processed for the purposes of the competition. Submitting this information is required and forms part of the contract; it is a prerequisite for the contract’s fulfilment. Without providing this information, the participant cannot take part in the competition. The intended recipients of participants’ data are the authorised personnel of the Communication Department, who are responsible for processing the data and OVH (www.ovh.com), host server for the competition.
The participants’ data will be kept for one year after the end of the competition.
Participants have the right to access their information, to correct it and to delete it. To exercise these rights, participants can contact WOAH at the following address: [email protected]
WOAH will take the necessary measures to respond to participants’ requests in a satisfactory manner.
Download the rules
-
Guidelines
2024 Photo Competition Rules
.pdf – 321 KB See the document
Frequently Asked Questions
The competition is open to entrants aged 18 years or above, falling under the Professionals Category and Veterinary students. Professionals include members of WOAH’s network (Delegates, Focal Points, veterinarians or employees of the Veterinary Services of a Member, employees of a Reference Centre and employees of partner organisations with whom WOAH has a cooperation agreement). For definitions of the above-mentioned terms, see www.woah.org.
Veterinary students should be enrolled full-time in a faculty of veterinary medicine in any country of a Member in the 2023-2024 academic year.
The only requirement is that the submitted artwork is photography-based. Therefore, all forms of editing in post-production are permitted granted that the results remain photography-based. No images that have been generated through Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) will be accepted.
Definitely! All photographers are welcome to participate, whether you are a beginner or not. We believe everyone stands a chance as long as you meet the technical requirements and submit photos in line with the theme.
You can submit up to five photos. The number of entries is limited to one per person (same surname, same first name and same postal address, irrespective of which email address is used). In the event of multiple entries by the same person (same surname, same first name, same postal address, irrespective of which email address is used), all entries from that person will be automatically rejected.
All the photos should have a caption. The Selection Committee will consider creativity in the caption when choosing the winning photos.
Please make sure that each image is in JPG, PNG or TIFF format, and less than 10MB.
The required resolution is 3000 ppi with a minimum size of 2480 by 3508 pixels (21 x 29.7 cm). The maximum file size per photo is 10MB. If the file exceeds this size, the upload will not be successful.
If you still are having problems with submitting your photo(s), please email us at [email protected]
The competition is free and there is no entry fee required.
By entering the competition, you transfer to WOAH non-exclusive rights to use all or part of the photos (in their original or modified form), to reproduction, dissemination in any medium and display, with a mention of the author’s name in the copyright, in any communication or publishing medium.
These non-exclusive rights are granted for an unlimited period, worldwide, royalty-free, as from the date of submitting the entry and its acceptance by WOAH.
You retain the right freely to use your photos. You may at any time, as the author of the photo(s) revoke the non-exclusive rights that you have granted to WOAH by sending a dated and signed letter, using a courier service with tracking and delivery against signature, to the following address:
Communication Department
World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH)
12, rue de Prony
75017, Paris
FRANCE
Tel: +33 (0) 1 44 15 18 88
WOAH reserves the right to reproduce or disseminate any of the photos submitted for the competition. WOAH may create posters from the photos and donate these, at its discretion, at any time. The entrants will have no right of compensation on the donation of posters or photos.
There is no time limit that has been set. The image can be relatively old and still make it to the finalists / winners. The images should meet the technical requirements and have been authored by you.
A Selection Committee of professional award-winning photographers has been established. The selection process is anonymous to ensure that entrants are judged fairly and only based on the work they have submitted.
Selection of the winning photo for the Public Choice will be done on WOAH’s social media channels.
Winners will be announced no later than 20th May 2024 on the website: www.woah.org/en/photo-competition.
The prize money is sent by bank transfer to the bank account indicated by the winner. The transfer will be done before the last Friday of June 2024.
The winning photos will be exhibited at the 91st General Session to be held in May 2024 in Paris. All details regarding the General Session will be shared closer to the date on the website.
After the General Session, the exhibition may be replicated at WOAH’s Headquarters in France, as well as in some of the 13 Regional Representations found worldwide.
WOAH will be responsible for all costs related to printing, transport, setting up and overall display of the work at the different venues.
This space is aimed to inspire participants who would like to enter for the Competition. For information regarding photo sizes and format of submission, explore the competition rules.
Videos
Watch some videos from the members of the Selection Committee to inspire you.
Previous editions
2019 Winners
The winners of the 2019 Photo Competition were those who visually and creatively showed the crucial importance of the work done to protect animal health and welfare worldwide through the implementation of International Standards.
Global Winners
Global Prize Winner – Network
Photo caption: Transhumance, a nomadic and free life.
Photographer: Catalina Gomez Lopez
“My project aims to show transhumance activities practiced in the province of Jaén, one of the last bastions of the Iberian Peninsula where transhumance still exists, but with the sensation of witnessing a way of life that is disappearing. It is a personal tribute to honour and respect animals and farmers who practice sustainable livestock production linked to the land. They keep alive the embers of a defeated culture in which magic, difficulty, and harmony with nature and its slow rhythms are appreciated…” – Catalina Gomez Lopez
Global Prize Winner – Veterinary Students
Photo caption: New horseshoe.
Photographer: Simon Halas I am very pleased that “New horseshoe” was chosen by the Jury of the Photo Competition as the winning photo. Thank you very much. It is also perfect that WOAH allows students to participate… and of course that there is an organisation that specialises in preserving and protecting animal health and welfare.
– Simon Halas
Regional Winners
Africa Region Winner
Photo caption: Testicular ultrasound of a horse with a tumor: case received at the EISMV clinic in Dakar’ . Photographer: Boris Outtara
“I am extremely proud for having been selected as the winner of the Africa Regional Prize for this photo competition. I would like to thank WOAH for this opportunity to participate because it is a springboard for veterinarians and veterinary students to share our experiences while combining them with one of our passions: photography. “ – Boris Outtara
Americas Region Winner
Photo caption: Caring for the new generation. Photographer: Leyssi Vanessa Altamiranda Avendaño
Asia and Pacific Region Winner
Photo caption: Microbiological enumeration of raw food cultured from a whole poultry carcass using the colony counter. Photographer: Khai Jeng Tan
“I would like to thank WOAH for this wonderful opportunity uniting veterinary students and professionals from all over the world and allowing us to depict the link between animals and people. I have never thought of giving up my passion for photography and for my profession because I feel that the emotions of people towards animals are precious and I am always eager to frame them up.” – Khai Jeng Tan
Europe Region Winner
Photo caption: Horse dissection by a veterinary student.
Photographer: Mia Valomy
“I warmly thank WOAH for organising this competition, which highlights the multidisciplinary nature of our profession and raises public awareness of animal health and welfare issues. I am delighted to have this opportunity to share a moment of my veterinary studies“. – Mia Valomy
Middle East Region Winner
Photo caption: Horse dissection by a veterinary student
Photographer: Hani Bader
2018 Winners
The winners of the 2018 photo competition submitted photos that showed the important work done to protect animal health and welfare worldwide through the implementation of International Standards.
Africa Region Winner
Photo caption: Animal Disease Surveillance – Our team undertaking Active surveillance. Photographer: Dr Nazaria Wanja Nanga
“I am greatly honoured to be the winner of the Photo competition. The punchline says ‘Animal health and welfare, beyond the cliché’, this photo competition demonstrates that veterinary practice has gained new ground beyond its traditional barriers”.. – Dr Nazaria Wanja Nanga.
Americas Region Winner
Photo caption: Serving the rural population. Photographer: Miguel Galarde López
“With this contest, WOAH has given me an opportunity to show the close link that exists between animal welfare and public health, to be able to cater for animal and human health as part of the One Health approach in a vulnerable population”. – Miguel Galarde López.
Asia and Pacific Region Winner
Photo caption: PPR vaccine monitoring. Taking blood samples after four months vaccination. Photographer: Dr Ulaankhuu Ankhanbaatar
“I am one of the young generation who is proud to be a veterinarian. Photography is one of my hobbies, so I enjoy taking photos while I am working. I am thrilled to be winning the award for the second time.” – Dr Ulaankhuu Ankhanbaatar.
2018 Europe Region Winner
Photo caption: Teamwork. Photographer: Dr Daniel Fekete
“Official veterinarians can be present in quite emotional situations and as a hobby photographer, I am constantly trying to capture such moments. This competition was a great opportunity to show people how overwhelming our work can be”. – Dr Daniel Fekete.
2018 Middle East Region Winner
Photo caption: Three Arabian camels stand in front of a veterinarian scanning an electronic microchip on their necks. Photographer: Dr Abdullah Alfneekh.
“I thank WOAH for their incredible efforts to serve global animal health and set up such an excellent animal health photo competition. It is something that represents a great generosity of them“. – Dr Abdullah Alfneekh.
Africa Region Winner – Veterinary students
Photo caption: Two female veterinarians performing tick identifcation at IGAD Sheikh Technical Veterinary School diagnostic laboratory, Somalia. Photographer: Mohammed Said Abdulle
“Veterinarians’ role can never be questioned, we are more than just animal doctors but human doctors and public health protectors, protecting human health by managing crises such as diseases and zoonoses and foodborne diseases.” – Mohammed Said Abdulle.
Americas Region Winner – Veterinary students
Photo caption: Who’s a good boy? Photographer: Katherine Sum
“WOAH plays an integral role in the control of animal disease on a global scale. The Photo Competition is a great way to shed light on important affairs in veterinary medicine while encouraging individuals in this rewarding profession to showcase their photography skills”. – Katherine Sum.
Asia and Pacific Region Winner – Veterinary students
Photo caption: Hopeful little eyes expecting a correct diagnosis and treatment for her goat from a veterinarian. Photographer: Bhuwan Giri
“I think my work is to make people aware of the issues related to animal health and welfare in my country and to foster love and care for animals. I thank WOAH for letting students be the part of this competition and providing a platform to showcase the work”. – Bhuwan Giri.
Europe Region Winner – Veterinary students
Photo caption: Simulation of bovine obstetric practice at the simulation room VetSims (EnvA) . Photographer: Sarah Hilka
“Thanks to WOAH for organising this competition that makes it possible to share, through photography, all the efforts made in order to improve the health and well-being of animals in the whole world.” – Sarah Hilka.
Middle East Region Winner – Veterinary students
Photo caption: Hello human, we are all friends.
Photographer: Ceren Ates
“As a veterinary student, I am very glad that the photo competition gave me a chance to show our relationships with animals, as it is not just a job, but we actually enjoy it! I thank WOAH for giving me the chance to represent veterinary students from my region and showcase our work to the world“. – Ceren Ates
2017 Winners
The winners of the 2017 photo competition submitted photos that showed the important work done to protect animal health and welfare worldwide through the implementation of International Standards.
Global Network
Africa Region Winner
Photo caption: Time for a pedicure.
Photographer: Dr Janette James
“WOAH and all its Members play such a vital role in veterinary and public health, and the general public is seldom aware of the huge role that all these people play in keeping them safe. I think this photo competition is a great idea, as it is a chance to see the everyday experiences of the veterinarians and animal health workers”. – Dr Janette James.
Americas Region Winner
Photo caption: Campo e Tecnologia. Photographer: Dr Fernando Kluwe Dias
“I consider WOAH as an Organisation of extreme importance in animal health, welfare and for the global population. The Competition shows in different ways and forms the arduous and necessary work done by professionals who work within the animal area”. – Dr Fernando Kluwe Dias
Asia and Pacific Region Winner
Photo caption: Vaccination campaign against PPR. Photographer: Dr Yadamsuren Dagvador.
“It is my great pleasure to be the winner of the Photo Competition in the region. This photo competition is one of the big contributors to illustrate activities done by veterinarians and the veterinary sector in the world. ” – Dr Yadamsuren Dagvador.
Europe Region Winner
Photo caption: Diagnosis
Photographer: Dr Alfonso Ferrer Yus
“I am a veterinarian and I work in the rural world specialising in large animals for almost 20 years. This competition allows me to combine my passion for photography with my profession so that I can show some of the veterinarian’s daily work.” – Dr Alfonso Ferrer Yus
Middle East Region Winner
Photo caption: The connection between humans and animal. Photographer: Dr Mozafar Sarmasti
“Since the World Organisation for Animal Health works with animal health and welfare, such a Competition is valuable”. – Dr Mozafar Sarmasti
Africa Region Winner – Veterinary Students
Photo caption: Abir avec un joli poussin dans une visite guidée au baratinant d’élevage de poulet de chaire chez “Poulina Group Holding”. Photographer: Khaled Daamer
Americas – Veterinary Students
Photo caption: Vaccines and dewormer for a Navajo Churro sheep herd. Photographer: Ginger Hobgood
“WOAH’s support of animal health and welfare was well portrayed in the task of this photo competition. Purposefully looking for veterinary interactions in the care and management of animals has granted me a deeper perspective of what it means to be a veterinarian. There are so many ways for a veterinarian to be involved in communities, helping to promote the health of the people through the health and care of their animals”. – Ginger Hobgood.
Asia and Pacific Region Winner – Veterinary Students
Photo caption: The connection between humans and animals.
Photographer: Dr Mozafar Sarmasti
“To be able to use my passion in throwing light to the field of veterinary practice gives me immense joy and satisfaction. I am thankful to WOAH for providing this great opportunity for scores of students like me for whom this event has not merely been a competition but a platform for realization and understanding”. – Christopher Ashish.
Europe Region Winner – Veterinary Students
Photo caption: Caress.
Photographer: Simon Halas
“I enjoy the dog’s thankful and sad look. He desires to be caressed, and this not only caught my attention, but that of the jury of the 2017 Photo Competition. In this way the photo can raise people´s awareness in the world”. – Simon Halas
Middle East Region Winner – Veterinary Students
Photo caption: Sharing love and trust.
Photographer: Seyyed Jamal Emami
“The photo competition is a creative and interesting activity to help us think in-depth and to see various aspects of animal health and welfare. It encourages us to further extend the spirit of respect to animals in our community. Thanks to WOAH for this opportunity to share our views and experiences with all who care about animals and to its undoubted role in preserving health and welfare to animals across the world.” – Seyyed Jamal Emami
2016 Winners
Photos from the winners of the 2016 photo competition highlighted the crucial work carried out to protect animal health and welfare worldwide through the implementation of International Standards.
Africa Region Winner – Global Network
Photo caption: Dr Christo Labuschagne
Photographer: Disease surveillance
“This initiative by WOAH is just fantastic! Ultimately it brings veterinary professions from across the world together by allowing us to view veterinary medicine from various aspects and new perspectives. It is such a creative and fun thing to do, and I cannot wait to capture more of these moments that remind us of why we became vets in the first place”. – Dr Christo Labuschagne
Americas Region Winner
Photo caption: Thank you for travelling with us. It was a pleasure serving you.
Photographer: Eng Miguel Espinosa
“The photo competition transmits in a simple way, the significant and decisive activity which takes place within and outside of our Organisation, in the decision-making for the food biosecurity of our population. It also promotes the ingenuity, creativity, and artistic side of those who participate in the contest, which gives us a chance to leave aside the strictness in standard setting work which can sometimes become routine.” – Eng Miguel Espinosa
Asia and Pacific Region Winner
Photo caption: First step.
Photographer: Dr Ulaankhuu Ankhanbaatar
“Thanks to the organisers and selection committee of the Photo competition for the opportunity to share my photos with other veterinarians in the world! ” – Dr Ulaankhuu Ankhanbaatar
Europe Region Winner
Photo caption: Complicity and mutual affection.
Photographer: Dr Jorge Bacelar
“The important role that has been played by WOAH in the implementation of animal welfare standards can be successfully captured by the photographers entering the Competition. The respect for animals can be shown in a photo. There is no better way to describe the interaction between an animal and its treater. As we say, “an image is worth more than a thousand words”.” – Dr Jorge Bacelar
Middle East Region Winner
Photo caption: No comment
Photographer: Dr Mozafar Sarmasti
Americas Region Winner – Veterinary students
Photo caption: A special bond between a student and a teaching animal. Photographer: Ginger Hobgood
“Through encouraging people to photograph how animals are cared for every day, and then displaying the perspectives of each individual for the public to have a window into animal welfare, WOAH is playing a vital role in changing perspectives and helping animal care workers to be even more mindful of the environments around them and the animals under their care. ” – Ginger Hobgood
Asia and Pacific Region Winner – Veterinary students
Photo caption: Nonstop bleeding. Saved him and gave him a chance. Photographer: Chayada Piantham
“Things are happening and people are actually taking actions. The photo competition is a great way to capture these actions and show them to the world, telling them what is really happening beyond the cliché!” – Chayada Piantham
Europe Region Winner – Veterinary students
Photo caption: Antibodies in milk form.
Photographer: Filipa Trigo da Roza
“I am glad that the photo competition was opened to veterinary students. Putting my love for animals and photography together was a great experience. It is one of my favorite subjects to take photos and this prize gave me a lot of motivation to continue to do it during my life as a veterinarian! ” – Filipa Trigo da Roza
2015 Winners
The winning photos from the 2015 photo competition highlighted the crucial work carried out to protect animal health and welfare worldwide through the implementation of International Standards.
Africa Region Winner
Photo caption: Ensuring safe exports. Photographer: Dr Gideon Bruckner
“The photo competition is in my view a brilliant initiative to not only depict the immense scope of work of the veterinary profession, and veterinary services in particular, but also to stimulate veterinarians to look with new interest to the wide scope of their work”. – Dr Gideon Bruckner
Americas Region Winner
Photo caption: Vaccination campaign against FMD, Province of Buenos Aires
Photographer: Julia Anguita
Asia and Pacific Region Winner
Photo caption: Lung auscultation
Photographer: Dr Yadamsuren Dagvadorj
“Thanks again to the Photo competition organisers for the opportunity to compare and share my pictures with other photographers in the veterinary sector from different regions of the world! ” – Dr Yadamsuren Dagvadorj
Europe Region Winner
Photo caption: Rapid detection of motite Salmonella.
Photographer: Dr Petr Vaclavek
Middle East Region Winner
Photo caption: Antibodies in milk form.
Photographer: Filipa Trigo da Roza
Submit your photos
You have learnt what the Photo Competition entails, read the rules, and picked your five best photos aligned with the theme, ‘Animal health and welfare, looking to the past and embracing the future.’ Go ahead and submit your entry!
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