A Public-Private Partnership is a joint approach in which the public and private sectors agree on responsibilities and share resources and risks to achieve common objectives that deliver benefits in a sustainable manner. Innovative partnerships between governments and actors in the livestock production chain are important mechanisms for the control and eradication of foot-and-mouth disease and similar transboundary animal diseases (FAST). The EuFMD, playing the role of a catalyst organization, is collaborating with the livestock production sector of Member Nation countries, and beyond, to foster their engagement in partnerships with government bodies and non-profit organizations to tackle FAST diseases together.  

Impact of FAST diseases on the livestock value chain

FAST diseases remain permanent threats to European livestock production. FAST diseases epidemics usually have a serious and frequently catastrophic impact on animal health and welfare and are disruptive to the livestock production value chain. The risk for disruption can be reduced by preventing incursion, ensuring better preparedness for managing outbreaks, and helping EU neighbouring countries with eradicating these diseases. Ideally, the responsibility and engagement for these actions are equally shared and are based on consensus between all public and private stakeholders in European livestock production. A strict eradication policy as it is foreseen today in the EU must include all partners, from the competent veterinary authority, farmers, veterinary professionals, farm suppliers, to the rendering companies.

Public Private Partnership applied to anticipated FAST-disease outbreak control in Europe

With the support of EuFMD, the European private sector stakeholders in livestock production have launched a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Initiative for Anticipating FAST-Disease Outbreaks to explore a collaboration with public partners and academia in addressing animal health management in a structured and open discussion. This PPP can investigate specific areas of concern and propose solutions that are supported by all partners.  

Criteria for application of emergency vaccination during FAST disease outbreaks need to be revised to create a lever for keeping vaccinated animals alive. The criteria for post-outbreak surveillance for regaining disease-free status and market access of vaccinated animals should become a risk-based strategy and include new surveillance tools that are available. 

Biosecurity is an important animal husbandry practice that can enhance animal health on farms. The opportunities that arise when enhancing biosecurity on farms for controlling FAST diseases need to be explored. Private sector stakeholders can invest in biosecurity management and resources needed to deal with FAST diseases by sharing experiences between the partners. 

Public Private Partnership applied to control FAST diseases in EU neighbouring countries 

The current workplan of the EuFMD is aimed at assisting regional networks, risk-based surveillance and capacity building in the European neighborhood for FAST diseases FAST diseases.  Therefore, the EuFMD partnered with the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and developed a series of training courses and workshops aiming at providing the skills needed to develop and implement FAST diseases control strategies. These training courses and workshops provided participant countries with the required knowledge and skills to analyze opportunities for PPP related to FAST diseases control, develop and evaluate business cases and to share experiences towards the establishment of an enabling environment for public and private sector collaboration.