$3m earmarked for global centre of FMD research
The news came after the Pirbright Laboratory, which contains the reference laboratory for FMD was recognised by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) as the global expert on FMD research. The lab is part of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and funded by the Institute for Animal Health (IAH).
The $3m will be staggered over a five year period to support work on tackling FMD.
The funding announcement follows the launch of the FAO and OIE global FMD control strategy, announced last week, and puts Pirbright at the centre of the first phase of work, which will last five years. However, The World Bank did suggest a budget of just under $1bn over five years to fund the initial programme, as the world FMD endemic is estimated to incur a $5bn annual loss.
Speaking at the launch of the new strategy, Dr Jef Hammond, head of the Institute’s world, EU, OIE and national reference laboratories for FMD, presented the global situation on FMD to key representatives of 100 OIE member countries at the launch of the new strategy.
Hammond said: “The initial phase of the strategy, which includes the funding for our lab, gives us an opportunity on a global scale to implement the measures we know can work to control FMD. The FAO and OIE are promoting a coordinated approach across the world using effective diagnostics, vaccines and other control measures – many of which were developed at Pirbright.”
Funding plans include the creation of a dedicated team at Pirbright, whose objective will be to deliver the aims of the global FMD control strategy, which will help in cases of future major outbreaks. In 2001, the UK saw a devastating economic impact caused by FMD, which cost at least £8bn. The potential impact of another outbreak on food security in the UK is said to be enormous, especially at a time when consumption of animal protein is rising alongside population, which is set to increase to 9bn by 2050.
Dr Bryan Charleston, head of the Livestock Viral Disease Programme at the IAH, said: “Over the 15 years covered by this strategy and with the funding committed, there is a chance to make great strides not only in FMD, but to improve veterinary services and control many livestock diseases across the world.
“Ultimately we will need to have vaccines against FMD that are at least as effective as existing vaccines, but are easier to manufacture and handle. At the Institute we are focused on developing vaccines that can be produced on a large scale without the need for high containment facilities and that are stable at higher temperatures.”
