Animal health is a fundamental pillar of global food security, public health, and economic stability. When veterinary systems function well, they safeguard the livelihoods of millions, particularly in rural and vulnerable communities. But when they fail, especially in times of crisis, the consequences can be far-reaching and often irreversible.
Beyond their direct impact on human lives, armed conflicts, political instability, and economic hardship undermine animal health by disrupting veterinary services, disease surveillance, and biosecuritymeasures. Such disruptions create conditions that favour the spread of zoonoticand transboundary animal diseases, with far-reaching economic and public healthconsequences.
During armed conflicts, animal health often becomes a low priority amid more immediate humanitarian concerns. This shift can disrupt veterinary services, leading to the suspension of vaccination campaigns, health checks, and disease surveillance. The destruction of critical infrastructure, including laboratories and clinics and transport routes, combined with supply chain disruptions caused by restricted access to conflict zones, makes it impossible to distribute vaccines and medicines or process diagnostic tests in a timely manner. These breakdowns not only impact animal health but also hinder the control of zoonotic diseases, increasing risks for both animals and humans.
Large-scale displacement of people further contributes to the uncontrolled movement of animals and goods, which favors the regional spread of transboundary diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)and African swine fever (ASF). The ASF situation in Ukraine illustrates this risk clearly. Before the war with Russia, Ukraine had made substantial progress in controlling ASF through enhanced biosecurity, targeted surveillance, and rapid outbreak response. The conflict has severely disrupted these efforts, leading to a wider and less controlled disease spread within the country and increasing the risk to neighboring countries (FAO, 2023).
Political instability and economic hardship usually go hand in hand, creating complex challenges for animal health systems. Political unrest can breed mistrust between farmers and authorities, undermining farmers’ willingness to cooperate with disease control measures, particularly when these involve sensitive measures such as culling or movement restrictions. At the same time, economic hardship weakens the capacity of both veterinary services and farmers to prevent diseases. At the governmental level, budget constraints can result in staff shortages, limited access to vaccines and medicines, and reduced disease surveillance capacity. Farmers under financial stress may be forced to compromise on livestock care by using lower-quality feed, skipping preventive treatments, and lowering hygiene standards. Venezuela offers a stark example. The economic collapse beginning in2016 severely weakened the country’s veterinary infrastructure, causing FMD vaccination coverage to drop from over 90% in 2015 to below 50% by 2020. This decline, coupled with a breakdown in surveillance systems, allowed FMD virus circulation to go largely uncontrolled and undetected. The FMD outbreaks in Colombia in2017–2018, linked to virus circulation in Venezuela, underscore the serious threat such situations pose to both national and regional livestock production (Rivera et al., 2023).
Beyond armed conflicts and socio-economic instability, the climate crisis is emerging as another major disruptor of animal health systems. Climate-driven displacement of people and livestock is on the rise and is expected to accelerate as global warming intensifies. For example, the droughts in the Horn of Africa in 2020 and 2023 devastated pastoral and agropastoral livelihoods, forcing millions to migrate across borders in search of water, pasture, and food. In Kenya’s Garissa County alone, over 200,000 people arrived from drought-affected areas (UNDDR 2024). Such cross-border movements increase the risk of livestock disease spread, place additional pressure on already fragile animal health systems, and intensify competition for limited resources.
The challenges described above highlight the urgent need to build resilient animal health systems capable of sustaining essential services even under pressure, an imperative for both national economies and those of neighboring countries. While international organizations such as FAO, WOAH, and various NGOs play a crucial role by providing technical support, emergency vaccinations, and capacity building, especially in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FAO, 2025; WOAH, 2025), there remains a critical need to strengthen animal health system resilience. Rich and Perry (2011), emphasize that achieving this requires strengthening governance frameworks, securing sustainable funding beyond emergency responses, fostering regional cooperation in disease control to protect both national and regional livestock industries, and integrating economic and epidemiological approaches to better prioritize preventive interventions and allocate resources efficiently.
In the face of rising political instability and emerging conflicts, sustained and coordinated efforts are essential to building resilient animal health systems. These systems protect the livelihoods of farming communities, safeguard public health, and preserve hard-won gains in animal health. Without this “insurance,” crisis can quickly erode gains and jeopardize long-term disease control and development goals.
At SAFOSO, we are committed to building more resilient animal health systems. Based in Switzerland and active in over 50countries, we partner with governments, international organizations, private companies, and veterinary authorities to strengthen and adapt animal health systems so they can withstand crises, maintain essential services and safe guard progress. With more than 250 completed projects, we bring two decades of experience, precision, and a proven ability to bridge global standards with local realities.
Together, we can build resilient animal health systems, because animal health matters.
References
· Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2023). The conflict in Ukraine and animal health. Rome. Retrieved July 18, 2025, from https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/271f126d-a60d-4eaa-934b-b4d322ef4ec3/content
· Rivera, A. M., Sanchez-Vazquez, M. J., Pituco, E. M., Buzanovsky, L. P.,Martini, M., & Cosivi, O. (2023). Advances in the eradication of foot-and-mouth disease in South America: 2011-2020. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 9, 1024071. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2022.1024071
· UNDRR. (2024). Horn of Africa floods and drought2020-2023: Forensic analysis. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Retrieved from https://www.undrr.org/resource/horn-africa-floods-and-drought-2020-2023-forensic-analysis
· Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2025). Emergency Management Centre (EMC). Retrieved July 18,2025, from https://www.fao.org/animal-health/our-programmes/emergency-management-centre-(emc)/en
· World Organisation for Animal Health. (2025). Emergency preparedness. Retrieved July 18, 2025, from https://www.woah.org/en/what-we-offer/emergency-preparedness/
· Rich, K. M., & Perry, B. D. (2011). The economic and poverty impacts of animal diseases in developing countries: New roles, new demands for economics and epidemiology. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 101(3-4), 133–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2010.11.006
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