To ensure the optimal collection and submission of information on animal diseases, Members were requested to nominate one or more national focal points to assist the Delegate and act as a direct contact point with the Animal Health Information Department on matters related to information on animal diseases.
The focal points for disease notification are the Veterinary Services officers in charge, under the authority of the Delegate, of animal disease notification to the WOAH. They should be preferably the responsible of the National Epidemiological Unit, with experience in epidemiology, computers and software use.
Focal points of each country are key players in the World Animal Health Information System through the optimal use of the online notification system, WAHIS, and in its output. They actually are the information providers to the WOAH and through the WOAH to the rest of the world and they play a major role at the national level to gather good quality information needed to be processed into WAHIS.
Each Delegate is requested to nominate into WAHIS secure web application, using his/her user access and password their Focal points. There are three possible kinds of accesses that can be given by the Delegate to the Focal points to notify on terrestrial and aquatic animal diseases or to notify on terrestrial animal diseases only or to notify on aquatic animal diseases only.
Download the Terms of Reference
How to nominate a Focal Point?
Below the list of the Americas Focal Points.
