Zoonoses research priorities identified
New research priorities published in Parasites and Vectors complement the full TDR report on the zoonoses research gaps recently published. Zoonoses covers diseases that involve both people and animals. The article was written by members of the TDR Disease Reference Group on Zoonoses and Marginalised Infectious Diseases.
Key issues identified include:
- the general lack of reliable quantitative data on their public health burden;
- the need to evaluate livestock production losses and their additional impacts on health and poverty;
- the relevance of cross-sectoral issues essential to designing and implementing public health interventions for zoonotic diseases; and
- identifying priority areas for research and interventions to harness resources most effectively.
Beyond disease specific research issues, a set of common macro-priorities and interventions were identified which, if implemented through a more integrated approach by countries, would have a significant impact on human health of the most marginalised populations characteristically dependent on livestock.
The article reinforces the 'One world, one health' philosophy that forges inclusive collaborations between human and animal health professionals, and related environment and agricultural disciplines. While the concept in theory has been widely embraced, progress lags across academic disciplines and in the integration of research with policy. The authors say that too often research questions are formulated without input from policy-makers, when effective 'buy-in' could be achieved by integration and iterative engagement throughout the research development cycle.
For more information, please contact:
Jamie Guth
TDR Communications Manager
Telephone: +41 79 441 2289
E-mail: guthj@who.int