Animal health funding lags as disease threats rise

By AI, Created 5:13 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – A new World Organisation for Animal Health report says animal health receives just a fraction of global health spending even as avian flu, foot and mouth disease, African swine fever and other threats spread. The findings land as governments prepare to debate funding and preparedness at WOAH’s 93rd General Session in Paris.

Why it matters: - Animal health systems are a frontline defense against transboundary disease, food insecurity and the next pandemic. - Underfunding leaves countries slower to detect outbreaks, weaker at containing them and more exposed to losses in livestock, trade and livelihoods. - WOAH says the gap is especially dangerous in low- and middle-income countries, where animal health supports income, food supply and economic resilience.

What happened: - WOAH released its annual State of the World’s Animal Health report on the margins of its 93rd General Session in Paris. - The report says animal health receives as little as 0.6% of global health spending. - Development assistance for health fell to about US$39.1 billion in 2025, with animal health accounting for less than 2.5% of that total. - Global defence spending reached a record US$2.9 trillion over the same period.

The details: - Animal diseases destroy more than 20% of global animal production each year, according to the report. - Bringing Veterinary Services in every country up to international standards would cost about US$2.3 billion per year. - WOAH says that figure is less than 0.05% of the US$3.6 trillion in economic losses tied to COVID-19 in 2020. - The report says COVID-19 most likely emerged from an animal source, while the precise origin and transmission route to humans has not been definitively established. - More than 2,000 outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza were reported by 64 countries and territories between 2025 and 2026. - Those outbreaks led to the culling or loss of more than 140 million poultry. - Foot and mouth disease has caused unprecedented outbreaks in Southern Africa and re-emerged in Europe. - African swine fever continues to spread, including through notable long-distance jumps. - New World screwworm is also raising concern, with tens of thousands of cases reported across Central America and a northward spread that could threaten countries not yet affected. - WOAH says 75% of emerging infectious diseases in humans originate in animals. - Recent assessments found declining veterinary capacity in 18% of countries and declining paraprofessional capacity in 22%. - Based on 54 countries and territories assessed, WOAH estimates an average 52% budget increase is needed to meet the actual annual cost of effective Veterinary Services. - WOAH’s Performance Veterinary Services Pathway gives countries an independent assessment of animal health systems and a roadmap for improvement. - After recent PVS activities, more than half of participating countries reported increased financial resources.

Between the lines: - The report frames animal health as a broader security issue, not just a veterinary one. - That matters because disease can move across borders faster than funding, and weak surveillance in one country can create risk for many others. - The spending comparison is meant to underline a policy mismatch: governments are finding money for defense while preventive animal health systems remain underfinanced. - WOAH is also pushing the One Health approach, which treats animal, human and environmental health as linked rather than separate.

What’s next: - The report will feed into discussion at WOAH’s 93rd General Session from May 18-22. - A WOAH Technical Forum will focus on “Investing in Animal Health to Secure Everyone’s Future.” - A ministerial meeting on the margins of the opening ceremony will include a ministerial statement on animal health systems. - WOAH is calling on governments to raise funding, development partners to back prevention over crisis response, and financial institutions and private sector actors to treat animal health as an investment.