Launch of the ‘One Health Poultry Hub’

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has announced the launch of the UKRI GCRF One Health Poultry Hub. The RVC is the lead organisation, with partners in Asia, Australia and Europe.

Funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), this interdisciplinary Hub will address the need to meet rising demand for poultry meat and eggs in developing countries, while minimising risk to international public health.

Population growth is driving global demand for poultry, meat and egg production, creating conditions in which animal diseases can spread to humans. These include bacterial food poisoning and strains of avian influenza with epidemic or pandemic potential. Increased antimicrobial resistance due to misuse of antibiotics in poultry farming is also a major global threat.

The GCRF One Health Poultry Hub will adopt a One Health approach to the issue of combatting zoonotic diseases by bringing together a team of laboratory, clinical, veterinary and social scientists. This team will test and evaluate novel interventions. The need for safe poultry production is most urgent in South and South East Asia, so the RVC and its partners will then use their local networks in these regions to put its research to immediate use.

GCRF One Health Poultry Hub Director Professor Fiona Tomley of the RVC said: “I am privileged and delighted to lead this exciting partnership. The enthusiasm and engagement of our diverse team gives me confidence that we will succeed in assisting the development of policies for environmental, economic and social sustainability of poultry production systems and reduce threats to human and animal health and welfare.”

[SOURCE: Royal Veterinary College]