In September, China will host the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. An expected 200 horses from more than 20 countries will participate in the equestrian events, such as dressage, jumping and cross-country. To facilitate the participation of international horses, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) has established an Equine Disease Free Zone (EDFZ) in Tonglu, Hangzhou. This EDFZ contains an equine subpopulation with a high-health status with respect to certain equine diseases. Such zones mitigate disease risks for high-health, high-performance horses that enter the host country and then either return to their countries of origin or are transported to other destinations.

A self-declaration for the establishment of an EDFZ for the 19th Asian Games was submitted by the Delegate of China to WOAH and is already published on the dedicated webpage.

The objective of this self-declaration is to inform WOAH Members about the animal health status of equids in and around the venue (with regard to the main equine diseases) in order to facilitate trade.

More information: International competition horse movement

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WOAH Newsletter – March 2023