The National Audit Office (NAO) has released a report emphasizing the UK Government’s lack of preparedness for the escalating threat of animal diseases like bird flu and African swine fever. It warns that the government’s current strategies are insufficient for managing potential major outbreaks, which could severely impact farming, food security, and public health. The report references the devastating 2001 foot and mouth outbreak that incurred huge costs and losses. Despite efforts from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the report concludes that their capacity may be inadequate for dealing with simultaneous or more severe outbreaks.
A new report from the National Audit Office (NAO) highlights serious inadequacies in the government’s preparedness for increasing animal disease risks and outbreak management.
The 2001 outbreak of foot and mouth disease demonstrated the catastrophic financial and ecological impacts of unmanageable outbreaks, costing an estimated £13.8 billion.
Collection
[
|
...
]