The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has called for stronger international cooperation and increased investment in prevention measures as transboundary animal diseases continue to spread across regions, posing growing threats to food security, trade, rural livelihoods and public health.
According to the FAO, diseases such as avian influenza, African swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, New World screwworm and peste des petits ruminants are expanding beyond traditional boundaries, while emerging zoonotic diseases including Ebola, Nipah virus and Andes hantavirus are adding to global concerns.
The agency warned that the increasing movement of animals, people and agricultural products, combined with environmental pressures, changing livestock production systems and uneven veterinary capacities, is creating favorable conditions for diseases and pests to spread more rapidly across countries and continents.
“Outbreaks today can have consequences far beyond animal health,” said Tiensin Thanawat, FAO Assistant Director-General and Chief Veterinarian. “They disrupt agricultural production, trade and tourism, threaten livelihoods, increase food security risks and, in some cases, pose direct risks to human health.”
The economic consequences of animal disease outbreaks are significant. FAO estimates that avian influenza has led to the loss of more than 633 million poultry worldwide and threatens a market valued at approximately $48 billion. Foot-and-mouth disease is responsible for annual losses of about $11.3 billion, while African swine fever has reduced pig populations by more than 40 percent in some parts of Asia.
Recent outbreaks have underscored the urgency of the situation. New World screwworm has re-emerged in the United States after decades of successful containment, following its spread northward through Central America and Mexico. Meanwhile, the SAT1 serotype of foot-and-mouth disease has expanded beyond its traditional range in Africa, raising concerns in parts of Asia, the Middle East and other regions.
FAO officials emphasized that prevention and preparedness remain the most effective and cost-efficient strategies for managing animal health threats.
“Experience consistently shows us that prevention and preparedness are more effective—and less costly—than responding after an outbreak has taken hold,” said FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol. “Investing in animal health systems is one of the most effective ways to protect livelihoods, support trade, strengthen food security and improve resilience across agrifood systems.”
The livestock sector supports more than one billion livelihoods globally and contributes trillions of dollars to the world economy each year. As a result, safeguarding animal health is increasingly viewed as essential to maintaining stable food supplies, protecting rural economies and supporting international trade.
Drawing on more than 80 years of experience, FAO continues to support countries through initiatives such as the Emergency Prevention System for Animal Health (EMPRES), the Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) and the Emergency Management Centre for Animal Health (EMC-AH).
The organization is also developing the Global Partnership Programme for Transboundary Animal Diseases (GPP-TAD), a long-term initiative designed to strengthen prevention, early warning systems, preparedness and rapid response capabilities. The programme aims to help countries detect outbreaks sooner, reduce disruptions to food production and trade, and minimize the need for costly emergency interventions.
Developed in collaboration with partners including the World Organisation for Animal Health, the initiative seeks to strengthen national veterinary capacities, improve sustainable financing mechanisms and better connect country-level investments with regional and global support systems.
FAO said the programme is intended to help countries shift from reactive responses to more sustainable, prevention-focused approaches as global animal health threats continue to evolve.