When we consider the pillars of national security, images of soldiers, border walls, and intelligence operatives typically come to mind. Rarely do we picture veterinarians. Yet, according to experts Guillaume Lhermie and Jonathan Rushton, the health of a nation's animals is as crucial to its security as defending a border post.
The Unseen Frontline: Food Security and Economic Stability
Investment in robust animal health systems must be viewed as critical national infrastructure. This investment directly safeguards public health, ensures national security, and becomes a tool for global diplomacy. The foundation of our food supply and the vitality of rural economies rest squarely on the backs of healthy livestock.
Most emerging infectious diseases that threaten humans originate in animals. When these diseases spill over, they jeopardize public health on a massive scale and demand enormous financial resources to control. Furthermore, weak livestock health systems create a dangerous vulnerability to deliberate threats. Introducing a pathogen into a rival nation's livestock—a tactic known as agroterrorism—is a recognized risk that underscores the security dimension of animal health.
The Challenge of Misinformation and Global Interdependence
The sector also battles the pervasive spread of misinformation, which can severely undermine evidence-based policy-making and effective crisis management during outbreaks. The issue of animal health is inherently transboundary; diseases do not respect borders. This reality makes it a core diplomatic concern.
Health and production standards, often acting as non-tariff measures, are key determinants of market access for a country's agricultural exports. As the global south experiences rapid population growth and increased demand for protein, meeting this need will require viewing animal health investments through three critical diplomatic lenses: the right to food, climate resilience, and pandemic preparedness.
Bridging Sustainability and Economics Through Cooperation
There is a powerful moral and practical imperative to improve sustainable production standards worldwide. However, this must be reconciled with the economic realities of animal production. Achieving sustainable transitions across global food supply chains will depend heavily on soft power and international cooperation.
Capacity building and training programs are essential and must mobilize science diplomacy under the unifying framework of the One Health approach, which recognizes the interconnected health of people, animals, and the environment.
A Stark Global Investment Gap
While comprehensive data is scarce, available information points to a troubling global disparity in funding. Pet health in developed nations is often well-supported through owner demand and private veterinary services. In stark contrast, livestock health suffers from a critical lack of investment.
In many developing countries, disease surveillance and diagnostic capabilities lean precariously on university research programs and in-kind industry donations. This patchwork system is ill-equipped to reliably detect and rapidly respond to emerging disease threats.
Research highlights the scale of the problem: close to 200 million livestock units live more than one hour's travel from any veterinary service. This includes over 40% of animals in Asia, 27% in Latin America, and 18% in Africa. This access gap represents a significant weak link in the global chain of health security, with implications that reach far beyond any single nation's borders.
