Animal Health: A Global Public Good More Than a Matter of Concern

At a press conference held on January 7, Bernard Vallat, Director General of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), called on governments to keep fighting epizootic diseases. The scientist indicated that today, as a result of unprecedented expansion in global exchanges, “One single nation can endanger the rest of the world”. Such message indeed rings true when the Chinese Health Ministry just confirmed the January 7 death of a 19-year old woman, who had been infected with avian influenza virus.

Concerned about the economic crisis consequences on governments’ ability to fight animal-borne diseases, especially in developing countries, the OIE leader also mentioned that animals are responsible for 75% of all new human diseases. And let’s not forget the economic and social stakes: the OIE considers that animal diseases account for over 20% of losses in milk, egg and milk production worldwide, leading to direct consequences on the livelihood of one billion people whose survival solely relies on the life of their animals.

This is the reason why, following Bernard Vallat’s example, we can only hope that governments cease to build their competitiveness to the detriment of sanitary norms, and implement accurate measures to eradicate contamination zones and to prevent global livestock infection.