Special session at ISVEE17: Advocacy decision-support tools for controlling animal diseases, improving animal health and production

As part of 17th International Symposium on Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics (ISVEE17), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will host a dedicated session on Advocacy decision-support tools for controlling animal diseases, improving animal health and production. The event will highlight the critical role of decision-support tools in managing transboundary animal diseases (TADs) and advancing animal health outcomes. Through case studies and expert discussions, participants will explore the practical applications, impacts, and challenges of these tools in real-world contexts.

Featuring case studies and expert insights, from various regions, this session will showcase the effectiveness of decision-support tools in shaping policies and improving animal health. Interactive engagement and a panel discussion will allow participants to share feedback on existing practices and contribute to recommendations for future tool development and collaboration.

The event will focus on three key areas:

• Success factors: Key factors that enable the successful uptake and use of decision-support tools will be highlighted. Real-world examples will illustrate why some tools effectively support policy, while others are less successful.
• Challenges and solutions: Common challenges in using and updating these tools, including data demands, user burden, and tool fatigue, will be discussed. The origins of tool fatigue will be explored, along with proposed solutions to improve usability and sustainability.
• Way forward and lessons learned: Lessons drawn from real-world applications and proposed actions will be shared in a concluding panel discussion, with particular attention to addressing tool fatigue and other challlenges. Practical guidance will be provided on adapting decision-support tools to meet evolving epidemiological and socioeconomic needs.

 

Agenda

Time	Item and presenter
11:00 – 11:05	Welcome and introduction Madhur Dhingra, Senior Animal Health Officer, FAO Animal Production and Health Division (NSA) Bouda Vosough Ahmadi, Global Coordinator of the GFTADs Secretariat, NSA
11:05 – 11:20	Interactive session: Identifying challenges and success factors
11:20 – 11:30	Global animal disease information systems, national systems and EMPRES-i Fernanda Dórea, Project Coordinator (Early Warning and Data Mining), NSA
11:30 – 11:40	Empowering member countries in Asia-Pacific region: FAO's efforts and vision of adapting decision-support tools Gael Lamielle, Regional Surveillance Specialist, FAO Country Office in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Office
11:40 – 11:50	Surveillance Evaluation Tool (SET): a case study from Indonesia Syafrison Idris, Head of Diseases Surveillance Unit, Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health Services, Indonesia
11:40 – 11:50	Assessing the financial burden of animal disease outbreaks and their control measures using OutCosT (OUTbreak COSting Tool) Giovanna Ciaravino, Researcher in Veterinary Epidemiology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
11:50 – 12:20	EuFMDiS: European Foot-and-Mouth Disease Spread model Richard Bradhurst, Principal Research Fellow and Chief Investigator at the Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis (CEBRA), The University of Melbourne
12:20 – 12:50	Panel discussion: Tackling challenges and shaping future tools
12:50 – 13:00	Q&A session

The event will be chaired by Madhur Dhingra, Senior Animal Health Officer, NSA.