Wildlife Health
WOAH at the 16th ASCM Conference in Jeju, Korea (10-12 Oct 2023)
October 12, 2023
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Disease surveillance in wildlife to protect biodiversity
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) successfully delivered a one-day interactive workshop and a plenary presentation at the 18th Asian Society for Conservation Medicine (ASCM) Conference, held at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), in Kota Bharu, Malaysia, from 12–18 October 2025.
The workshop, entitled “Disease surveillance in wildlife to protect biodiversity”, was held on 13 October 2025, followed by a related plenary presentation during the main conference programme on 14 October 2025. The activities brought together wildlife health professionals, academics and students from across Asia and the Pacific.
Background
WOAH’s Wildlife Health Framework – Protecting wildlife health to achieve One Health provides the foundation for its Global Strategy on Wildlife Health, recognising the critical role of Veterinary Services in managing disease risks at the human–animal–ecosystem interface through collaborative, cross-sectoral approaches.
In October 2024, WOAH and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) jointly released the General Guidelines for Surveillance of Diseases, Pathogens, and Toxic Agents in Free-ranging Wildlife. These Guidelines support countries in strengthening wildlife disease surveillance systems and promote a shared understanding among authorities and practitioners working in wildlife health.
Building on previous engagement with ASCM, including a WOAH-co-organised session at the 16th ASCM Conference in 2023, the 2025 workshop provided a more practical, hands-on opportunity to support capacity building and dialogue among wildlife stakeholders in the region.
Workshop focus and outcomes
The workshop combined technical presentations, interactive discussions and a facilitated simulation exercise, with a focus on:
Live polling and group discussions encouraged active participation and experience-sharing. Participants applied key concepts from the Guidelines during a desktop simulation exercise, reinforcing practical understanding of surveillance planning and implementation. The session concluded with a short evaluation exercise to reflect on learning outcomes.
The accompanying plenary presentation highlighted regional experiences in conservation medicine and the value of networking wildlife health stakeholders to strengthen surveillance and preparedness efforts.
The workshop was facilitated by WOAH, with technical contributions from experts from the WOAH Collaborating Centre for Wildlife Health Surveillance and Epidemiology in Thailand, drawing on extensive experience in wildlife health surveillance, epidemiology and One Health implementation in Asia and the Pacific. Participants included early-career postgraduate veterinary students and young graduate veterinarians, alongside experienced practitioners and academics working in wildlife health. Attendance was limited to support interactive engagement and discussion.
The activity was organised by WOAH in collaboration with ASCM, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, and Mahidol University, and was supported through funding from the Japan Trust Fund.
Workshop agenda with presentation here.
Plenary presentation: “Conservation medicine: networking wildlife health stakeholders for success” Dr Anuwat Wiratsudakul, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Thailand
A full conference agenda is available here: https://www.ascminfo.org/ascm-2025-malaysia
