Neural tube defects (NTDs) are congenital malformations that can have very serious consequences for the development of a newborn’s brain and spinal cord. To improve the prevention of these defects, ANSES recommends fortifying wheat flour with folic acid, the synthetic form of vitamin B9, in addition to vitamin B9 supplementation for women planning a pregnancy. This measure would compensate for the inadequate vitamin B9 intake of these women, which is one of the main risk factors for NTDs in unborn children. The Agency’s expert appraisal on the prevention of NTDs included an initial socio-economic analysis of various options for action and recommended a stakeholder consultation, with a public health objective of scaling up prevention.

Cases of foot-and-mouth disease were detected on a water buffalo farm in Germany on 10 January. This is the first outbreak in Germany since 1988, and in the European Union since 2011. Although no other cases have been detected so far, ANSES, through its Laboratory for Animal Health, stands ready to take action to prevent the spread of the disease. This article explains its role and missions.

Every year in December, ANSES finalises and then publishes its work programme. The 2025 programme will be published once the resources available to ANSES are known, and possibly after determining its scientific priorities.

ANSES will be at the Cité des sciences for the Women Engineers weekend held in conjunction with this year’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science. You are invited to meet our team of scientists who study ticks, mosquitos and the microorganisms they can spread to humans and animals alike. The women you will meet are research scientists, engineers and technicians who have developed a method capable of detecting close to 50 different microorganisms at a time. This will certainly help to speed up detection of the pathogens transmitted by these vectors. They will explain their work and in doing so will prove to you that science and innovation have no gender!