GBADs great debate at #ISVEE17

Eleven days to go before the #GBADs spoken essays and great debate in our special session at the International Symposium on Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics 2024 #ISVEE17!

When: Tuesday 12th November 10:30 to 12:30 ??

Where: Room C3.6

Wait... what now? Tell me more!

A consistent and comparative estimation of the burden of diseases and injuries is an important basis for animal health decision-making and planning processes. A framework for integrating, validating, analysing and disseminating such information is required. The Global Burden of Animal Diseases has proposed such a framework and now it is time to critique and refine the approach, with some tricky problems open for debate.

First, animals are kept in different systems, making comparisons challenging without a well-defined method for valuing them. Animal health economists typically use monetary value to enable comparisons between diseases and to choose between interventions. But prices are dynamic, so how do we compare through time and over geographies?

Second, the disability-adjusted life year for humans is well established; the concept of ‘perfect health’ equates to a disability weight of 0, but we do not have an equivalent for production animals. What defines animal health and is ‘ideal health’ necessary or achievable?

In this session invited speakers will present ‘spoken essays’ on these issues; an Oxford-style debate follows before we open the floor to hear from others.

What will happen on the day?

To open the special session Jonathan Rushton (University of Liverpool) will provide an update on the Global Burden of Animal Diseases programme.

PART 1: Are all animals equal or are some more equal than others - do prices reflect their true value?

The session continues with ‘spoken essays’ presenting big ideas on tricky concepts in the economics of animal health.

Peggy Schrobback (CSIRO) “The value of livestock and the role of prices”

Girma Birhan Asteraye (University of Liverpool) “The hidden value of working equids in Ethiopia”

Emma-Jane Murray (University College Dublin) “Cows versus badgers in tuberculosis control, they are not all black and white”

Followed by your chance to discuss with the panel.?

PART 2: “All animals need ideal health”.

The second part of the session is an Oxford-style debate on the motion "All animals need ideal health". The chair, Anne Meyer (Episystemic) will introduce the debate, and the audience will be asked to vote for or against the motion.

The proposition team Wudu Temesgen and Mieghan Bruce will go hoof to hoof against the opposition Paul Torgerson and Mark Schipp . After this, the audience will have a chance to ask questions or request clarification.

The chairperson will then close the session, giving the audience an opportunity to recast their votes! May the best flock win.

It is anticipated that the finest scientists will air their ideas; unlikely a consensus will be reached, but we will all learn a lot.

We can't wait to see you there!