Accelerating the development of impactful animal disease control tools
Approximately 60 % of all human infectious diseases and around 75 % of emerging infectious diseases start in animals. Animal diseases can cause, amongst others, serious global public health and animal welfare damage. Of course, such diseases are not bound by borders, and the major disease threats faced by the livestock industry are universal. Global challenges require global solutions. To achieve these solutions within a particular timeframe, however, requires common and coordinated international research effort. The EU-funded SIRCAH project is aiding the coordination of such an effort. “The overall objective of SIRCAH is to facilitate the STAR-IDAZ International Research Consortium on Animal Health (STAR-IDAZ IRC) in achieving its objectives, by establishing a secretariat to provide organisational and communication support to the consortium and its various members and assist with the development of focused research roadmaps,” outline project coordinators Scott Sellers and Madeline Newman. STAR-IDAZ IRC is a global network seeking to coordinate research at international level that contributes to new and improved animal health strategies for at least 30 priority diseases, infections or cross-cutting issues.
Roadmaps for animal health
“A major objective of SIRCAH is supporting the development of STAR-IDAZ research roadmaps which identify and prioritise research and knowledge gaps on priority topics,” explains Newman. Ongoing and planned research projects are mapped on the research roadmaps to highlight which gaps are being funded and addressed – and conversely, which are underfunded. Currently, there are 4 generic roadmaps (focused on vaccine development, diagnostic test development, therapeutics and the development of disease control strategies) and 15 disease-specific roadmaps published on the website. “Additionally, there are three African swine fever roadmaps, three foot-and-mouth disease roadmaps, six roadmaps on Helminth infections and one for Brucellosis,” adds Sellers. Further roadmaps are in development. A paper detailing the process and construction of the four generic roadmaps authored by Gary Entrican and supported by SIRCAH was published in the journal Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. “This will build confidence amongst the research community in the quality of the STAR-IDAZ roadmaps and the method for developing them,” confirms Sellers.
Collaborations, reviews and webinar
SIRCAH has also commissioned and supported the development of several reviews, including the 2021 Animal Influenza Research Review. It identifies what has been achieved in recent years and highlights the available tools and current challenges for avian, swine, equine, companion animals and other veterinary influenzas. A similar review, 2022 African Swine Fever Virus Research Review, fed into the 2022 Global African Swine Fever Research Alliance scientific meeting and gap analysis sessions in May 2022. SIRCAH, along with the Collaborative Working Group on European Animal Health & Welfare Research, also held a global webinar in 2020 which investigated the role of veterinary sciences in coping with and preventing future animal and zoonotic pandemics.
An impact to be felt in research for years to come
In its support of STAR-IDAZ IRC goals, SIRCAH is helping coordinate a focused global research effort on animal health. The project has developed research roadmaps with prioritised research gaps and supported regional coordination and cooperation through the STAR-IDAZ IRC Regional Networks. “By improving the coordination of research, SIRCAH reduces duplication of research effort, encourages better knowledge flow between research groups and encourages funders to concentrate funding on research most needed to speed up delivery of new vaccines, diagnostic tests, and control strategies,” concludes Newman.
Keywords
SIRCAH, STAR-IDAZ IRC, animal health, animal health strategies, research, roadmaps, review, coordination
