Increasing livestock populations in rural areas is not enough to reduce poverty in low income countries. Productivity gains are needed. Since animal diseases are of decisive importance for productivity, animal health is of central importance for poverty focused development cooperation. The poorest households are at the same time most dependent on animal husbandry and most vulnerable to adverse shocks to livestock. Unhealthy animals make up substandard savings, provide low yields, transmit diseases to humans, and imply inferior animal welfare. In addition, the level of greenhouse gases is larger per unit of production in comparison to healthy animals.
In the EBA report Animal health in development – its role for poverty reduction and human welfare, Professors Jonathan Rushton, Arvid Uggla, and Ulf Magnusson present the significance of reliable animal health control systems in relation to sustainable and resilient livelihoods in low-income countries, with recommendations on priorities and strategies for a science-based animal health management. The presentation of the report will be a starting point for a discussion on the role of animal health in order to meet, in particular, SDG goals 1 and 2 and if and how to export Sweden’s competence in combining a limited use of antibiotics with high productivity and animal welfare.
PROGRAMME
11:00 Welcome and introduction
Hans Magnusson, Head, Department for International Organisations and Policy Support, Sida
Gun-Britt Andersson, vice chair, EBA
11:05 Presentation of the report
Jonathan Rushton, Professor in Animal Health and Food Systems Economics, University of Liverpool
Arvid Uggla, Emeritus professor of veterinary parasitology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
Ulf Magnusson, Professor of animal reproduction, SLU
11.30 Comments and discussion
The authors
Dr. Barbara Wieland, Team Leader Herd Health, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Kenya.
Ola Möller, Senior Policy Specialist Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security, Sida
Andreas Davelid, Trade Policy Analyst, the Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket).
Cecilia Nordin van Gansberghe, Deputy Director, Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation, former Ambassador to the FAO
Moderator: Gun-Britt Andersson
12:20 Concluding remarks
Gun-Britt Andersson, Vice chair, EBA