Challenges of animal health information systems and surveillance for animal diseases and zoonoses

Abstract

Animal Disease Surveillance is key to improving disease analysis, early warning and predicting disease emergence and spread. As a preventive measure, disease surveillance is aimed at reducing animal health-related risks and major consequences of disease outbreaks on food production and livelihoods. Early warning systems are dependent on the quality of animal disease information collected at all levels via effective surveillance; therefore, data gathering and sharing is essential to understand th e dynamics of animal diseases in diverse agro-ecological settings to support effective decision-making to prevent disease and for emergency response. Animal Disease surveillance systems track zoonotic diseases and identify emerging diseases and as such, are recognised as a global public good to support improved animal and global public health.