FAO plays a critical role in strengthening countries’ preparedness and response capacity to reduce the impact of animal health emergencies that can threaten livelihoods and food security, particularly in lower income countries with vulnerable infrastructures. By building capacity to prevent, detect and respond to disease threat and helping to avoid national, regional and global spread, FAO animal health programmes are critical in protecting people and animals from animal disease threats. 

Through its Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), FAO builds animal health capacity to prevent, detect and respond to zoonotic and non-zoonotic disease outbreaks at source. 

Through its Emergency Management Centre for Animal Health (EMC-AH), FAO has been leading global animal health emergency management since 2006 using a One Health approach. The Centre’s core functions are laid out under four pillars: preparedness, response, incident coordination, and collaboration and resource mobilization.

ECTAD and EMC-AH work hand in hand to increase resilience to future global threats and to protect the world against One Health and livestock crises.