Official Bank Sites Related Information Multimedia June 12, 2006—Since ancient times, many serious diseases have passed from animals to humans. Rabies, anthrax—even the plagues of Egypt described in Genesis may have sprung from a Rift Valley fever virus epidemic among animals, according the World Bank animal health expert Dr. Francois Le Gall. Today, as medical researchers closely monitor human cases of avian flu for signs of an imminent pandemic, Dr. Le Gall and others say people are increasingly vulnerable to a growing number of animal diseases, also known as zoonoses. “The world has entered a new era of emerging and re-emerging diseases that have the potential to jump from animals to humans,” Dr. Le Gall says. “More and more, these diseases are a public health threat, and almost every year the world’s population is at risk of another disease of animal origin.”
The global threat of zoonoses such as ‘mad cow’ and avian flu has brought the issue of livestock management and animal health to the top of the World Bank’s development agenda.
The Bank is participating in a $1.9 billion international effort to combat avian flu with a $500 million in financing aimed at strengthening countries’ abilities to coordinate, monitor, and implement measures against avian flu and future threats from livestock-borne diseases.
The $500 million is currently targeted at 20 countries, and another $60 million is available from a multi-country donor fund. But current funding levels may not be enough to prepare 145 developing countries for a possible avian flu pandemic, not to mention other animal diseases that could emerge as threats, says Dr. Le Gall. The most vulnerable countries need to take preventive measures that boost the capacity of Veterinary Services to detect and rapidly intervene in health crises arising from diseases that originate with animals, he says. Also needed is more investment in animal health and research into animal diseases, Dr. Le Gall says.> “Access to quality Veterinary Services is essential not only to bring the current avian flu crisis under control but also to ensure rapid detection of other emerging diseases and rapid intervention.” Pathogens Becoming Globalized The 20th century saw three influenza pandemics, probably of animal origin, in 1918, 1957 (swine), and 1968 (avian), notes Dr. Le Gall. “And now in the early 21st century we are bracing for a fourth pandemic,” he says. Economic and Social Consequences of Animal Diseases By Dr. François Le Gall
Based on the experience with severe acute respiratory syndrome in Southeast Asia, the World Bank thinks that an avian flu pandemic could result in a 2 percent loss of the world's gross domestic product and cost the world economy US$800 billion in the space of one year. Read more >> Several factors increase our risk from animal-borne diseases, Dr. Le Gall says. Those factors include the world’s growing population, greater numbers of domestic birds and livestock to feed the world’s population, increased trade in animal products, more animal-human contact, and ever increasing numbers of people traveling at greater speeds to previously inaccessible cultures and destinations. The world’s population quadrupled in the last century and increases by 90 million every year. Almost 700 million people travel internationally, a figure that is expected to reach 1 billion travelers in 2010, says Dr. Le Gall. Today, people, animals and their products travel around the earth faster than the incubation period for most known pathogens, he says. “Pathogens are becoming globalized, and as of now we can take it for granted that the vast majority of diseases are cross-border in nature,” he says. In addition, people are increasingly sensitive to pathogens and weakened by over-medication in developed countries, or by under-nutrition, malnutrition and immunodepression in poor nations, he adds. ‘Livestock Revolution’ A “livestock revolution” underway in developing countries is encouraging global trade in animal products and straining existing animal health infrastructure, Dr. Le Gall says. 
“Strengthening Veterinary Services helps not only to lessen the risks to animal health and public health but also to reduce poverty,” Dr. Le Gall adds. Demand for poultry meat is expected to increase by 3.9 percent annually, and demand for other animal products will likely increase by between 2 and 3 percent by 2020, he says World beef, pork and poultry exports were estimated at 17.7 million metric tons in 2004, an increase of 5 percent over the previous year, Dr. Le Gall says. World meat consumption is expected to increase at an annual rate of 2 percent until 2015. Most of this demand will be met by developing countries and will result in more intense production methods and higher geographic concentration of farms consisting mostly of poultry or pigs, Dr. Le Gall says. Increased demand for animal products has also led to the breeding of more genetically uniform domestic animal populations that are more vulnerable to pathogens, he says. Infrastructure Needs Dr. Le Gall says many developing countries and countries in transition and even some industrialized countries lack “sound” veterinary infrastructure partly because past policies—including privatization, deregulation, decentralization and insufficient, often waning public funds—have weakened Veterinary Services. “The current avian flu crisis shows only too clearly that without solid and credible Veterinary Services, countries are unable to prevent the introduction, emergence or re-emergence of animal diseases, or to contain outbreaks,” says Dr. Le Gall. But “the challenge posed by global diseases—global in impact and requiring an international response—in recent years has grown while the capacity of many countries to control the spread of diseases has diminished,” Dr. Le Gall says. He adds that without effective veterinary staff, countries cannot guarantee the safety of animal products intended for export. The Bank has been working to put avian flu on the development agenda of the regions most affected through raising awareness and mobilizing finances, building capacity, and sharing knowledge, Dr. Le Gall says. The Bank is encouraging sectors, governments and international organizations to work together by bringing together health officials, animal disease experts and ministry officials from different countries, he says. If countries invest in prevention, early detection, and rapid response before a crisis hits, they will be able to substantially limit the economic impact of an animal disease outbreak, he adds. Vietnam, for example, probably would have been able to reduce the economic impact of avian flu if it had a veterinary infrastructure that allowed it to respond as rapidly as Thailand responded to its avian flu crisis, says Dr. Le Gall. Most donors and creditors, including the Bank, agree that bringing Veterinary Services in line with international standards is a global public investment priority, he says. “Strengthening Veterinary Services helps not only to lessen the risks to animal health and public health but also to reduce poverty,” Dr. Le Gall adds. “Furthermore, rich countries agreed to give priority to supporting veterinary services in developing and transition countries not only to foster development worldwide, but also to protect themselves against a worldwide spread of animal and zoonotic diseases.” More Information: Most recent publication (2005):
Bank strategy from 2001:
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