2294 part 1 final report.pdf - Agra CEAS Consulting

Prevention and control of animal diseases worldwide
Part I: Economic analysis: prevention versus outbreak costs
To cope with the current disease situation, programmes and projects for the prevention and control of
avian influenza have mushroomed since 2004, particularly in Asia and Europe, and more recently in
Africa. According to another survey of some 200 countries 44 around the world carried out in 2006 by the
UN System Influenza Coordinator (UNSIC), the majority of countries have made significant progress in
the last two years in establishing Avian Influenza Task Forces and in developing integrated avian and
human influenza preparedness plans 45 (A236).
Despite continuing progress and the strong engagement of national governments, a number of shortfalls
remain. Some 55% of these plans have been endorsed by governments, while 45% are still in drafting
process (Figure 2). Also, plans remain largely untested. The percentage of national plans tested through
simulation exercises is particularly low in Africa (20%) and the Americas (29%), followed by the Middle
East/N. Africa (40%), Asia/Pacific (48%), and Europe/Central Asia (58%) 46 .
44 The countries covered by the UNSIC survey include all developing/transition countries that are members of the
OIE, i.e. all the countries covered by our analysis.
45 The UNSIC baseline survey was carried out in May 2006 with results reported in June. The objective is to update
on progress every 6 months. Thus, a first update on this was prepared in November 2006 (in draft, latest update
available). Systematic comparison with the evidence obtained in June already indicates progress in a number of
respects. Globally, in the animal health sector, there have been some significant enhancements in avian influenza
detection capacity, surveillance and reporting systems, trans-boundary disease controls, poultry vaccination policies,
and poultry compensation arrangements. It should be noted, however, that a smaller number of countries responded
to the November update than to the May baseline. Therefore, the data quoted here use mainly the results of the
baseline survey when the response rate was higher.
46 The UNSIC survey covers simulation exercises for integrated preparedness, i.e. no distinction is made between the
animal disease outbreak part and the human pandemic part of the plan.
Civic Consulting • Agra CEAS Consulting 43