Veterinary Services and Aquatic Animal Health Services safeguard the health and welfare of animals and those who care for them, as well as the safety of animal products and the people who consume them. These Services look out for animal health symptoms and risks, and recommend actions to contain, control or eliminate threats.

Today, Veterinary Services and Aquatic Animal Health Services face new and emerging threats: disinformation and misinformation. Misinformation is inaccurate information, usually spread without harmful intent. Disinformation is inaccurate or misleading information, deliberately created and spread to cause harm to target governments, organisations or people.

If no action is taken, the consequences can be significant, threatening lives and livelihoods, undermining trust, and taking up resources. Misinformation and disinformation can spread rapidly, causing confusion and hampering emergency control and response measures. They increase the risk that animal and zoonotic diseases or other health threats will spread and cause economic and social damage.