Are governments doing enough to support global animal health systems?

Animals, humans and the environment are all connected. If the health of one of the three is impacted, the others will be compromised. This is a concept known as One Health. It informs all of Brooke’s work.

Strong animal health systems play a key part in reducing the likelihood of disease transmission between people and animals.

Diseases that jump from animals to people are known as zoonotic diseases. Examples of this include Coronavirus, SARS, Ebola, Avian Influenza and Rabies. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the dire consequences of zoonotic disease spread and the importance of investing in animal health.

By investing in global animal health, the UK government can ensure better access to veterinary care and medicines for animals, and better animal disease surveillance to stop pandemics like Covid-19 from happening.

We are only as strong as our weakest health system. A One Health approach is the only way to ensure the long-term health and wellbeing of animals and humans.

• An estimated 60% of known infectious diseases and up to 75% of new or emerging infectious diseases come from animals
• Just 13 zoonoses are estimated to affect over 2 billion people, causing 2.4 million human deaths annually
• A global survey conducted by Brooke and the World Veterinary Association asked 702 vets and paravets about access to emergency medicines. 80% of respondents felt that their ability to address animal health was restricted due to issues in accessing medicines