Animal Health Update - November 2024

A global look at what is driving animal health, sustainability, and more.

Some of the most pressing global challenges have been in the spotlight in recent weeks, along with recognition that?animal health can play a fundamental role in achieving sustainability goals, as I?outlined in a recent article.

Last week, during World AMR Awareness Week, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) launched a?new report?highlighting the "significant action undertaken in animal health"?to reduce the need for antibiotics and manage AMR.

At the COP29 climate summit, experts offered insights on how improvements in livestock health?can drive down greenhouse gas emissions while sustainably feeding a growing population.

The interconnectivity of animal health with human and planetary health makes the philosophy of One Health an increasingly powerful approach to sustainability. As we look forward to the year ahead, I hope we can maintain this momentum and continue to champion animal health as a cornerstone of a more sustainable, equitable world for all.

Latest news

A selection of notable articles from the past few weeks

Solutions Hub Launched at COP29 to Equip Livestock Sector with Innovations for Low-Emissions Animal Agriculture

Farming First

• Summary:?A new Livestock and Climate Solutions Hub, launched at the COP29 climate talks, will provide a one-stop-shop for solutions, including animal health improvements, to help the livestock sector in developing countries meet rising food demand while reducing methane emissions.
• Why it matters:?By 2050, Africa’s population surge will triple the demand for animal-source foods, contributing to two-thirds of livestock-related emissions from developing nations. The hub aims to tackle this with climate-smart solutions including advances in animal health, genetics and nutrition.

Vaccine for Foot and Mouth Disease A Win for East Africa

SciDevNet

• Summary:?A new vaccine, designed to protect cattle in East Africa against all prevalent strains of foot and mouth disease (FMD), offers hope of reducing losses and opening up access to FMD-free global markets.
• Why it matters:?Foot and mouth disease costs African livestock producers an estimated $2.3 billion annually by slashing milk yields by up to 80%. Only 5% of cattle are currently vaccinated, with most efforts reactive rather than preventive.
• Dive deeper:?Read more?about the impact of controlling FMD on greenhouse gas emissions.

Methane mitigation in agriculture: A call for sustainable action at COP29 and beyond

Africa Policy Research Institute

• Summary:?Emissions from agriculture are not evenly distributed around the world, with livestock emissions varying according to disease levels, access to veterinary care, and availability of quality feed.
• Why it matters:?Reducing livestock disease in low-income countries is one of the most impactful ways to improve productivity and minimise unnecessary emissions.
• Dive deeper:?Read more?about how animal health and good husbandry can reduce emissions by 30%.

Agriculture Sector of the Americas Shone Brightly at COP29

Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

• Summary:?Representatives of governments and private sector from across the Americas gathered in Baku to?discuss how to advance climate commitments in agriculture?and showcase progress in the region.
• Why it matters:?Animal health can be a critical climate tool in the Americas. One assessment?found that?a 40% livestock vaccination rate is associated with a 12.8% reduction in land use in Brazil?

Insights and Research

Notable research on animal health, sustainability and more

“We have seen significant action undertaken in the animal health sector that helped advance the Global Action Plan (GAP) on AMR as well as WOAH’s AMR Strategy.”

The latest World Organisation of Animal Health (WOAH) report,?Towards a Healthier Future for All: Progress in Animal Health to Contain Antimicrobial Resistance, reviewed decades of global actions combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in animal health and highlights critical advancements since the 2016 Political Declaration on AMR. Key insights from the report include:

• National surveillance systems have "found AMR rates in animals are low or even declining"
• Countries like Thailand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the EU have reported up to 50% reductions in the use of antimicrobials in animals.
• Global collaborations like the Quadripartite partnership (WOAH, FAO, WHO, UNEP) have strengthened the One Health approach, bridging human, animal, and environmental health.
• Increase in biosecurity and vaccination are reducing the need for antimicrobials across the livestock sector.

Dig deeper: ?Read the full report ?– "Towards a Healthier Future for All: Progress in Animal Health to Contain Antimicrobial Resistance".

From the Archives

Resources from leaders in animal health and sustainability

Roadmap for Reducing the Need for Antibiotics HealthforAnimals The roadmap presents a strategy for addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and improving responsible use in animals.? ?

Findings include that:

• Reducing antibiotic use without first tackling disease rates would mean sick animals go untreated, causing unnecessary suffering and mortality while increasing the risk of transfer to other animals and people.
• Protecting animals from the threat of diseases requires maximising the long-term and preventative health benefits of tools such as vaccination, nutrition, antiparasitics, biosecurity, disease surveillance, diagnostics, husbandry and other animal health technologies.
• Together, these tools can improve the prevention, detection and treatment of animal disease, creating a pathway to reducing the need for antibiotics.

Read the?entire roadmap.

Something to share

One interesting item to share with your networks

Source:?Roadmap to Reducing the Need for Antibiotics

Before you go...

Mark these “World Days” and events coming up soon in your calendars! World Wildlife Day?(December 3) and International Day of Veterinary Medicine (December 9).

Check us out on?Twitter/X,?Facebook?and?LinkedIn?where we'll be celebrating these days and more.