Global Burden of Animal Diseases: a novel approach to understanding and managing disease in livestock and aquaculture

Abstract

Investments in animal health and Veterinary Services can have a measurable impact on the health of people and the environment. These investments require a baseline metric that describes the burden of animal health and welfare in order to justify and prioritise resource allocation and from which to measure the impact of interventions. This paper is part of a process of scientific enquiry in which problems are identified and solutions sought in an inclusive way. It poses the broad question: what should a system to measure the animal disease burden on society look like and what value would it add? Moreover, it aims to do this in such a way as to be accessible by a wide audience, who are encouraged to engage in this debate. Given that farmed animals, including those raised by poor smallholders, are an economic entity, this system should be based on economic KeywordsAgriculture -Aquaculture -Baseline -Burden -Economics -Gender -Global Burden of Animal Diseases Programme -Investment -Livestock -One Health -Poverty -Women farmers.

Biosecurity: Reducing the burden of disease

“…The Global Burden of Animal Diseases (GBAD), which includes aquatics, has six key components: disease classification, data collection, disease losses, animal health expenditure, sustainability, and equitability. It is expected to advance the understanding of animal health trends over time and the most effective and efficient means of reducing the burden of animal diseases, with subsequent impacts on human health either directly or indirectly (Huntington et al, 2021; Rushton et al, 2018).…”