Trends in the organization and financing of livestock and animal health services

Abstract

The world wide avalanche of change related to new political and economic paradigms has also affected animal agriculture. Changing views and objectives with respect to government support for agriculture in OECD countries, economic changes in Latin American and Africa countries, the GATT process and outcome, and interest in an ecosystems approach towards agriculture, are leading to a rethinking of the role of agriculture, as well as the role of development assistance. At the same time, developments in the former Soviet block and east Asia may cause a major shift in the geographical stratification of the world's intensive livestock industries which will increasingly be decided by the efficiency of production and marketing, by the availability and price of basic inputs, especially feed and fodder, and the proximity of markets. Old paradigms of livestock production may also change as advances in biotechnology increase the product mix of the livestock sector and includes outputs such as special proteins and vaccines. Major challenges facing the animal health sector, especially in developing countries, in this respect include: 1. (1) the need for active participation in the development of environmentally acceptable production systems; 2. (2) the redefinition of the role of the public sector in the provision of services, and the shift in financing animal health management from government to producers; 3. (3) the need for improvement of the quality of services provided by food animal veterinarians in order to further enhance the quality of food; 4. (4) the need to increase the efficiency of animal health through more efficient management of the supply of veterinarians, and better use of animal technicians and lay personnel. Many governments indeed are changing their policies (or contemplating doing so), and shifting responsibility for various aspects of animal production and health to the private sector. These changes are not without risk and complication. In general, the sector is trying to increase its efficiency through judicious use of manpower, drugs and equipment. Private animal health and production services, while common in the western world, are slowly emerging in developing countries and, more rapidly, in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union (FSU). This development then leads to a rethinking about the role of the public sector. This changing role is reluctantly accepted in many countries where government has played a dominant role in the last few decades. Major changes in policy development (including private sector input), privatization and commercialization of animal health services have implications for professional and lay staff as well as some of the financing consequences. The present development requires a much better assessment of the real cost of animal disease, either directly related to production or to society in general, and may lead to alternative approaches to animal health, comparable to the development of integrated pest management in plant protection.