Resource allocation for animal health research.

Abstract

Animal health management has changed from first-aid approaches towards planned prevention. To optimize health input at the farm level, various economic models can be used. At the sector level, however, both indirect effects and uncertain time dimensions tend to blur results of such modelling. In addition, health management is in its effects increasingly complementary to other sources of technological progress in animal production. Health management is particularly dependent on health research. Therefore, the question of how to allocate research funds is crucial. Solving this problem is only to a limited extent possible via economic modelling techniques. The reason for this is that animal production has developed into a system in which health and production measures are intertwined. These changes are largely scientifically-based and the research system has also become more integrated. As a result, health research cannot be looked at as an independent factor in health control. Hence, it is hard to allocate the costs and benefits to research and research funding. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)