Animal Health Crisis: Billions Needed Now

Global animal health services require an estimated annual investment increase of $2.3 billion to bolster surveillance and meet international standards. This funding is essential for veterinarians, laboratory systems, and disease monitoring. Neglecting animal health spending to reallocate resources to security budgets could prove a false economy, as animal diseases can pose significant threats.

Outbreaks of diseases like bird flu and rodent-borne hantavirus underscore the risk of zoonotic conditions spilling over to humans. More than 160 million chickens have died since last year due to bird flu or culling measures. The spread of New World screwworm to the US also highlights the costs of weakened animal health defenses.

Investing in veterinary services contributes to food security, public health, economic stability, and biodiversity. Despite animals being the origin of most human infectious diseases, they account for a small fraction of global health spending. Woah is collaborating with countries and international organizations to strengthen preventive measures and responses.