The world is failing to invest in animal health despite mounting evidence that the cost of inaction far exceeds the cost of prevention, according to the annual State of the World’s Animal Health report published by the World Organisation for Animal Health.
It said animal diseases destroy more than 20 per cent of global animal production.
These impacts are felt most acutely in low- and middle-income countries, where animal health plays a critical role in sustaining livelihoods, food security and economic resilience.
Inadequately funded systems struggle to detect and respond to diseases early, while also facing challenges in maintaining animal welfare standards. it said.
Recent reductions in international aid budgets are compounding the pressure. Development assistance for health has declined to approximately US $39.1 billion in 2025, with animal health accounting for less than 2.5 pert cent of that total.
In this context, strengthening animal health systems – the shared infrastructure that guards against naturally emerging diseases, accidental releases and deliberate biological threats alike – remains underfunded, despite their essential role in managing cross-border risks, including emerging diseases and biological threats, the report said.
Bringing Veterinary Services in every country up to international standards would cost approximately US $2.3 billion per year, less than 0.05 per cent of the US $3.6 trillion in economic losses attributed to COVID-19 in 2020, a disease that most likely emerged from an animal source, it said.
Seventy-five per cent of emerging infectious diseases in humans originate in animals, making animal health systems the world’s first line of defence against outbreaks, including a potential next pandemic. However, the report indicates that these systems are under strain, with 18 per cent of countries recently assessed showing declining veterinary capacity, and 22 per cent showing declining paraprofessional capacity.
Based on 54 countries and territories assessed by WOAH, it is estimated that an average 52 per cent budget increase would be required to meet the actual annual cost of effective Veterinary Services.
The report calls on governments to increase funding for animal health systems and to align funding with long-term prevention rather than crisis response.
