The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) came together yesterday, 29 April, to celebrate 100 years of work.
Taking place at APHA’s headquarters in Weybridge, the event showcased highlights from the long-standing international collaboration on issues such as rabies, brucellosis and antimicrobial resistance.
The facility is the primary UK space for managing animal diseases that can also pose a significant threat to public health, the economy, and the environment.
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APHA has supported WOAH’s global animal health and welfare agenda by enhancing their network of international reference laboratories.
As a designated laboratory for 18 animal health specialisms, APHA worked closely with WOAH on projects such as a goal of ending human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030.
They also helped establish a laboratory in India to build rabies diagnosis capability across the country and a nationwide training programme.
Around 60% of global human deaths from rabies occur in Asia, with India accounting for an estimated 60% of these deaths.
APHA chief executive David Holdsworth said: “This important event has shone a light on the outstanding work by leading APHA experts on the global stage to raise animal health and welfare standards. The threat from zoonotic diseases is rising, and our teams work tirelessly in responding to these.
“We are proud to be a partner of WOAH, the global authority on animal health, helping them in their mission to improve animal health globally, thereby ensuring a better future for all.”
APHA were involved in capability building for brucellosis, a bacterial disease that has been eradicated in much of northern Europe but remains a threat worldwide.
On programmes in Turkey, Sudan, and Afghanistan, APHA scientists worked with the new Central Veterinary Laboratory in Kabul, developing diagnostic skills.
Chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss said: “Animal diseases can pose a threat to human health, food security and economic growth.
To address these threats effectively, the global community needs to work in a coordinated way, across sectors, disciplines, and borders using a ‘One Health’ approach.”
The threat from zoonotic diseases is increasing, with nearly two-thirds of infectious diseases in humans originating in animals.
