July 29, 2010

FAO launches initiative to curb animal diseases

In an effort to prevent and control outbreaks of animal diseases and the associated costs, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Monday announced a new five-year initiative to improve global response to disease outbreaks.

The initiative will also implement effective prevention and containment strategies and manage risks.

Developed in collaboration with the WHO and World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the "One Health" initiative will target enhancement of disease early warning and detection systems; strengthening of capacity for surveillance and response; identification and assessment of disease causes in food animal production and natural resource management, according to reports.

The programme will also work to increase knowledge of the causes of disease outbreaks in livestock production, strengthen the capacity of public veterinary services in preparation, prevention and response to animal disease occurrence, assess the social and economic impact of diseases, and associate private sector stakeholders with public sector action in livestock and wildlife health.
 

"In developing countries, high impact transboundary animal diseases pose a direct threat to the food security, nutrition and income of rural communities that are dependent on livestock," an FAO press release notes.

The press release also states that the influenza virus gene pool currently circulating in humans, poultry, pigs and other animals is becoming more diverse with new strains of the virus across different hosts becoming increasingly common.

According to reports, FAO has also called upon donors to invest in the five-year initiative that will place a particular emphasis on fighting animal disease outbreaks in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America.