The Food and Agriculture Organization  of the United Nations said that developing countries such as the Philippines have the most to lose from foot and mouth disease outbreaks and will thus benefit the most from a strategy to eliminate the livestock sickness.

 

The Food and Agriculture Organization  of the United Nations, or FAO, noted that more than a billion smallholder farmers around the world depend on livestock for their livelihoods and FMD outbreaks inflict an estimated annual global loss of $5 billion.

 

"Consumers are also affected as they pay more for milk, meat and other foodstuffs when FMD fells livestock," said the FAO.

 

However, the FAO and the World Organization for Animal Health (or OIE in French for Office International des Epizooties) have jointly developed a risk management policy to deal with FMD outbreaks.

 

The strategy to control the spread of the foot and mouth disease has three components: 1) improving global foot and mouth disease control, 2) strengthening veterinary services, and 3) improving the prevention and control of other major diseases of livestock. 

 

The FAO and OIE also noted that sustained support of financial institutions will also play a significant role in the global strategy’s success.

 

"For the global strategy to succeed it needs more than the partnership of FAO and OIE,” said FAO assistant director-general Hiyoruki Konuma in a statement. “It needs the producers and marketing sectors to participate, as well as the veterinary services, and the pharmaceutical and vaccine companies." 

 

The OIE noted that out of its 178 member countries, 66 are already free from FMD including the Philippines which was announced as foot and mouth disease-free in 2011. — GCG/DVM, GMA News