Preventing pandemics, improving food security: sustainable control of vaccine preventable animal disease in resource-limited settings

From a One Health perspective, pandemics can be considered a symptom of deeper systemic problems. Reports of emerging infectious disease outbreaks have increased significantly over the past century, largely due to anthropogenic drivers such as: increasing populations of humans and domestic animals (livestock and companion animals); deforestation due to land clearance for cropping, pastures and urbanisation; globalisation of trade (including trade in wild animals) and travel; and climate change. In this time of economic uncertainty and growing existential threats, national governments, the private sector and households must assess how best to simultaneously address multiple challenges. To deliver actions designed to prevent pandemics that achieve cost-effective results in the medium- to long-term, they must also align with programs that support biodiversity gains, climate resilience, food and nutrition security and reduced antimicrobial resistance. Improved control of vaccine preventable animal disease can contribute significantly to: reducing the risk of pandemics of zoonotic origin by increasing the disease surveillance sensitivity, reducing consumption of animals that died of disease and improving relations between animal keepers and animal health authorities; reducing the inappropriate use of antimicrobials; improving access to safe animal-source food which is vital for children, women of reproductive age and the elderly and is lacking in many resource-poor settings; and, improved livestock productivity reducing the need to covert more land for agricultural purposes, reducing associated greenhouse gas emissions and incentives to hunt wild animals.