Empowering Decision-making on Livestock Health

The Opportunity

Ethiopia’s substantial livestock sector, contributing almost 20% to its GDP, is a crucial element of its economy. The persistent challenge of animal disease burdens, causing significant economic losses, highlights an urgent need for a strategic approach to manage animal health issues.
This situation presents an opportunity to leverage advanced data analysis and visualization techniques to enhance understanding and management of animal health, thus improving the sector’s economic output and the livelihoods of the people involved.

Our Approach

We worked as collaborators with the Global Burden of Animal Diseases (GBADs) program, led by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). We integrated data from a variety of sources and built models to measure and quantify the economic losses due to animal health issues at both farm and societal levels.

Delivered in a web-based, publicly-available dashboard, dynamic charts and maps showcase data such as Antimicrobial Usage (AMU), resistance patterns, and the Animal Health Loss Envelope (AHLE) across different regions and countries.

The Impact

By making complex data and analytics accessible and visually engaging, the GBADs program has been able to:

Identify critical areas for intervention and resource allocation.
Influence policy and decision-making with compelling, data-driven arguments.
Facilitate the understanding of the intricate relationship between animal health, economic impact, and antimicrobial usage.
Foster coordinated efforts against animal health challenges, moving from abstract concepts to tangible actions.