STAR-IDAZ

Global Strategic Alliances for the Coordination of Research on the Major Infectious Diseases of Animals and Zoonoses

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

Animal diseases can cause serious social, economic and environmental damage and in some cases also threaten human health. An increasing number of the major disease problems or threats faced by the livestock industry and zoonoses are of a global nature. The overall aim of the global strategic alliances for the coordination of research on the major infectious diseases of animals is to improve coordination of research activities on the major infectious diseases of livestock and zoonoses so as to hasten the delivery of improved control methods. This will be achieved through the establishment of an international forum of R&D programme owners/managers and international organisations for the purpose of sharing information, improving collaboration on research activities and working towards common research agendas and coordinated research funding on the major animal diseases affecting livestock production and/or human health. It will build on the groundwork established by the SCAR collaborative working group on animal health and welfare research, the EMIDA ERA-NET project and specific INCO-NETs involving partner countries. The scope of the project will include co-ordination of research relevant to emerging and major infectious diseases of livestock, including fish and managed bees, and those infections of livestock that may carry the risk of disease threat to human health. Diseases of wildlife will also be considered where they are identified as reservoirs of infection with emerging and major infectious diseases of humans or production animals. These objectives will be delivered through the following five workpackages: WP1. Project coordination, management, communication and dissemination; WP2. Sharing information on existing research programmes; WP3. Analysis of and responding to global, regional and industry sector priorities; WP4. Networking of ongoing research activities on major issues and WP5. Developing a strategic trans-national animal health research agendas.

Introduzione (Teaser)

Animal diseases can cause serious social, economic and environmental damage and, in the case of zoonoses, threaten human health. EU funding supported the formation of a global strategic alliance to improve research coordination on these diseases.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Infectious animal diseases such as avian influenza negatively impact the livestock industry. Furthermore, some infectious animal diseases are also zoonotic, meaning that they can be transmitted, either directly or indirectly, from animals to humans.

The http://www.star-idaz.net (STAR-IDAZ Global Network) is optimising research activities on infectious animal diseases and zoonoses for faster delivery of better disease control techniques. The consortium involves over 70 collaborators including stakeholders from industry, research councils, funding bodies and relevant ministries.

Under the global umbrella of STAR-DAZ, regional networks have been established for the Americas, Asia and Australasia, and Africa and the Middle East complementing the existing European regional network operating as the Collaborative Working Group on European Animal Health & Welfare Research (CWG) under the EU Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (SCAR). Twelve priority topics covering specific diseases and crosscutting issues such as vaccinology and alternatives to antibiotics were identified for collaborative activities including gap analysis and the formation of research networks.

The project website provides information on research activities related to animal health including reports, a publications database, and a research organisation database which maps research centres, funding organisations, programmes and facilities.

Through information sharing, STAR-IDAZ partners are ensuring that well-documented data sets are available to relevant research networks for secondary analysis. Foresight exercises conducted at a regional and global level led to the development of a global strategic research agenda, thereby optimising future research efforts and resource allocation.

The STAR-IDAZ Global Network, the four regional networks and disease/issue networks established should ensure the sustainability of project goals. The resulting improved communication, coordination and focus of animal disease research should help accelerate improvements in animal and public health at an international level.