Our expert consultation on livestock disease has launched with remarkable enthusiasm and engagement from the global livestock health community. Organised through the Livestock Data for Decisions (LD4D) network, this three-week collaborative initiative is bringing together leading experts to strengthen the disease evidence base that will inform critical livestock decision-making across Africa and South Asia.
Successful Kick-off Workshop Generates Significant Expert Input
On Monday, June 30th, SEBI-Livestock and LD4D hosted a 90-minute online kick-off workshop, which brought together 80 participants representing expertise from 26 countries. The session was highly interactive, with participants contributing nearly 400 valuable inputs on our collaborative digital bulletin board during the discussion. This level of engagement demonstrates the strong commitment within the livestock health community to address the critical evidence gaps that decision-makers face when prioritizing interventions and allocating resources.
The workshop successfully introduced participants to the goals of building the evidence base for livestock diseases in Africa and South Asia, and the evidence synthesis methodologies SEBI-Livestock plans to use to build this evidence base. The comprehensive list of priority diseases that will form the foundation of our evidence synthesis was also introduced. Participants brought diverse perspectives from across the livestock health spectrum, including those of veterinary epidemiologists, field practitioners, and researchers specializing in the priority diseases affecting livestock across our target regions.
Three-Week Consultation Gains Momentum
Following the successful workshop, we launched our three-week consultation on the LD4D engagement platform, powered by Open Social. The response has been immediate – nearly 100 members joined the platform in the first week, contributing thoughtful comments and insights.
Week 1: Foundation Building Through Collaboration
We’ve started strong with an engaging icebreaker that’s helping participants connect across geographical and disciplinary boundaries. The current focus is on crowd-sourcing information resources related to livestock disease, allowing our expert community to share their knowledge of the most relevant and reliable sources of evidence for priority diseases and disease groups.
This collaborative approach to resource identification ensures that our evidence synthesis will be built on the most comprehensive and current information available, drawing from both published literature and the practical experience of field experts.
Structured Evidence Development
Week 2, July 7 – 13, will shift our focus to identifying specific evidence needs for each priority disease. Participants will help define the critical knowledge gaps that decision-makers face, ensuring our evidence synthesis addresses the most pressing questions in livestock health policy and practice.
Week 3, July 14 – 20, will dive into protocol-related questions, where experts will help refine our methodology to ensure scientific rigor while maintaining practical relevance for end-users across Africa and South Asia.
Priority Diseases Driving Regional Impact
Our consultation focuses on twelve priority diseases and disease groups that significantly impact livestock health and productivity across Africa and South Asia:
- Newcastle disease
- Sheep and goat pox
- East Coast fever
- Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia
- Lumpy skin disease
- Rift Valley fever
- Peste des petits ruminants
- Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia
- Brucellosis
- Foot and mouth disease
- Common ectoparasites
- Common endoparasites
These diseases represent some of the most significant challenges facing livestock systems in our target regions, affecting millions of animals and the livelihoods of countless farming families.
Building a Collaborative Network for Lasting Impact
The early success of this consultation demonstrates the power of the LD4D network convening collaborative expertise in addressing complex challenges. Participants are not only contributing to an important evidence base but are also building a network of relationships that we hope will continue to benefit the livestock health community long after this consultation concludes.
Beyond the immediate outputs, active participants have opportunities to:
- Co-author publications resulting from the synthesis
- Receive acknowledgment in project outputs and publications
- Join an ongoing collaborative network of leading experts
- Influence methodology development and ensure scientific rigor
The Expert Dialogue Continues
While our consultation is now well underway, the conversation continues to evolve and grow. The energy and expertise demonstrated in our first week sets a strong foundation for the meaningful impact this project will have on livestock health decision-making across Africa and South Asia.
This SEBI-Livestock project represents more than just another evidence synthesis – it’s a collaborative, co-created effort to ensure that the best available evidence reaches the decision-makers who need it most, ultimately improving animal health and supporting the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on livestock for their well-being.
As we progress through the remaining weeks of consultation, we look forward to the continued engagement and valuable contributions from our expert community. Together, we’re building the evidence base that will inform better decisions, more effective interventions, and ultimately, improved outcomes for livestock health across two of the world’s important agricultural regions.
For more information, please contact us!
Photo credit: A female cattle farmer participates in the socialisation of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) held by PRISMA with the Central Java Livestock and Fisheries Service (DISNAKKAN), the Agroveta company (Kalbe) and Fermenfeed in Dusun Ngemplak, Banyuanyar Village, Ampel District, Boyolali, Central Java, 10 August 2022. (source)