World Organisation for Animal Health

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), formerly the Office International des Epizooties (OIE), is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1924 and headquartered in Paris, France. It works with its global membership to improve animal health, animal welfare, and veterinary public health.

WOAH sets internationally recognized standards through its Terrestrial and Aquatic Animal Health Codes and its Manuals of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines. It coordinates global animal disease surveillance via the World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS) and supports a network of reference laboratories and collaborating centers to strengthen diagnostics, preparedness, and response.

The organization provides guidance on biosafety, biosecurity, and the quality and responsible use of veterinary medicinal products, including antimicrobial resistance stewardship. WOAH’s standards underpin safe international trade in animals and animal products under the WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) framework, and it collaborates closely with partners such as FAO, WHO, and WTO to reduce disease risks at the human–animal–environment interface.