Emmanuelle Soubeyran, the head of France’s veterinary services, has been appointed as the director general of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), taking over from Monique Eloit. This appointment comes at a critical time as the world faces a severe outbreak of bird flu.
Soubeyran was chosen as the candidate for the European Union and is also the deputy director general for food in France. She brings with her extensive experience in dealing with animal health crises, having played a key role in implementing France’s bird flu vaccination program for poultry, which was the first of its kind in Europe.
As bird flu continues to spread to mammals, including dairy cows in the United States, there is growing concern that it could mutate into a virus that can easily spread between humans. Soubeyran has firsthand knowledge of this threat and plans to use her expertise to help combat it as director general of WOAH.
One of Soubeyran’s main priorities as she takes up her new role is to strengthen connections with other international organizations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations’ FAO. Recent crises have highlighted the importance of close collaboration between animal and human health sectors.
In addition to public contributions, Soubeyran plans to encourage private funding to support efforts to combat animal diseases and promote research. Her election marks a new chapter for WOAH as it navigates the challenges posed by the global animal health crisis.
