The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has developed these guidelines for simulation exercises with the goal of strengthening the capacity of Veterinary Services in WOAH Members for preparedness against all hazards that affect animal health and welfare, and veterinary public health. Simulation exercises are also a useful opportunity to take a multisectoral and interdisciplinary One Health approach to improve preparedness for zoonotic diseases and other shared threats at the human–animal–environment interface. Simulation exercises are a crucial component of emergency preparedness and, if delivered regularly, are a valuable tool to validate and test emergency response plans (otherwise known as contingency plans) and procedures, and to assess the overall capability and capacity of Veterinary Services to respond to an emergency.
The guidelines, which are in line with WOAH Standards, are designed to be scalable to all levels of capacity and resources. They are also intended to be adaptable so that they can be used by countries of different animal disease status. These guidelines complement and align with others, including the World Health Organization guidelines, the SENDAI Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the guidelines of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – Good Emergency Management Practice: The Essentials. Lastly, these guidelines encourage Veterinary Services to collaborate with other agencies and stakeholders involved in emergency preparedness planning and response.
The primary target audience for these guidelines is Veterinary Services, however, they can be applied to the domestic, wildlife and livestock sectors, and affiliated stakeholders, academia, law enforcement authorities, emergency services, non-governmental organisations and other international bodies. The guidelines can be used at the producer, sub-national, national, regional and international level.