Focal Points for Disease Notification Training 2023

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The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) disease notification training (including the use of WAHIS) for WOAH National Focal Points for Animal Disease Notification and representatives from Pacific countries

 

Background

WOAH ensures the prompt dissemination of information on potentially devastating outbreaks and facilitates decision-making on the international trade of animals and animal products by collecting, verifying and publishing official animal health information following a standardised process, thus providing high-quality, reliable data. To support WOAH Members and non-members maintaining global transparency and reporting diseases of animal and public health, WOAH has developed an advanced reference platform for animal disease and veterinary capacities reporting, called the World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS).

WOAH disease notification, including the use of WAHIS for disease notification training aimed to provide good governance concepts for animal disease reporting for WOAH National Focal Points (FPs) and Focal Points substitutes for disease reporting from the Pacific island countries. Participants were expected to understand the roles and responsibilities of the focal points to the WOAH in term of disease reporting.

The WAHIS training was held in Cross Wave Makuhari in Chiba, Japan from 21 – 23 June 2023, attended by 47 participants and 3 observers.

Prior to the in-person training in Chiba, an online pre-training session was held on 13 June 2023 (Disease reporting and aquatic animal health pre-training session, 13 June) to support the participants (i.e.,  WOAH National Focal Points for Animal Disease Notification, WOAH National Focal Points for Aquatic Animals and Focal Points substitutes from the Pacific island countries) with basic theoretical and technical knowledge on WAHIS before attending the in-person session. The online session allowed the participants to ask questions regarding requirements needed to the in-person session.

Objectives

The aims of the training were:

  • to encourage the focal points to be important stewards in their respective countries/territories with respect to disease reporting,
  • to update the focal points about disease reporting requirements and the nature of information using the WAHIS application as well as to appropriately consult the system,
  • to encourage the focal points to interact with each other and WOAH staff, towards improving disease notifications across the region,
  • to support the focal points in building and participating in networks at the national, sub-regional, regional, and global scales, and
  • to train the focal points on the latest methods for disease reporting information at Member level using the WAHIS platform (NB participants will enter real information into the training platform during the training, to test the platform and facilitate use of the platform).

Activities

The training started with opening remarks from the organisers followed by an ‘icebreaker’ session to allow the participants to get to know each other. A group photo session followed after checking access to WAHIS training platform with the participants. The three-days training continued with introduction of the basic concepts of WAHIS system and disease reporting covering areas from objectives of the training, roles of focal points for animal disease notification, legal basis, and value of WAHIS data. Dedicated sessions for public interface, immediate notifications, follow up reports, six-monthly reports and early warning notifications were delivered respectively by the trainers from the World Animal Health Information and Analysis Department (WAHIAD) at WOAH headquarters, as well as practical exercises conducted in groups.

Documents

Flyer: PDF

Concept note: PDF

Agenda: PDF

Arrival Information: PDF

Registration: Closed

Presentations

Day 1 (PDF)

Day 2 (PDF)

Day 3 (PDF)

Participants at an "ice breaker" session at the Focal Points for Disease Notification training held in Chiba, Japan (21-23 Jun 2023).

Jenny Hutchison, Head, World Animal Health Information and Analysis Department (WOAH Headquarters) leads a session at the Focal Points for Disease Notification training held in Chiba, Japan (21-23 Jun 2023).

Margarita Alonso, Senior Animal Health Information Officer, World Animal Health Information and Analysis Department (WOAH Headquarters) speaks during activities of the Focal Points for Disease Notification training held in Chiba, Japan (21-23 Jun 2023).

Participants at the Focal Points for Disease Notification training held in Chiba, Japan (21-23 Jun 2023).

Matteo Morini, Chargé de mission, World Animal Health Information and Analysis Department (WOAH Headquarters) speaks during group activities of the Focal Points for Disease Notification training held in Chiba, Japan (21-23 Jun 2023).

Group photo of participants and coordinators at the Focal Points for Disease Notification training held in Chiba, Japan (21-23 Jun 2023).

More information

Disease reporting and aquatic animal health pre-training session

June 12, 2023
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Regional Workshop for Advanced Training on the WAHIS for NFPs for Animal Disease Notification

February 03, 2016
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