Animal health in a development context

Abstract Animal health is central in improving nutrition and livelihoods. Principal Investigators from the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems synthesized overarching concerns and identified opportunities for enhancement. Various educational institutes provide differing levels of training and oversight. Few of educational establishments have a system for accreditation and/or periodic review. The public sector for animal health, which is that portion funded by tax dollars, often also supplies health care delivery for more common and treatable diseases, which dilutes government resources and inhibits the effective development of a sustainable private sector. There are insufficient connections and understandings between researchers and government, so that applied problems do not receive sufficient attention. Addressing these problems could promote the livelihoods and nutrition of many.