GCRF One Health Poultry Hub Information

The global demand for chicken meat and eggs is escalating and the challenge to meet it in a safer and more sustainable way affects us all. We have been working in four countries in Asia to address this fundamental development goal. Poultry production has doubled globally in the past 20 years, fuelled by population growth and urbanisation. Today, more than 1 trillion eggs and 90 million tonnes of poultry meat are produced each year. However, rapid intensification of poultry production can come with big public health risks. These include: - Widespread bacterial food poisoning. - The emergence of diseases with epidemic – even pandemic – potential, such as avian influenza. - The development of antimicrobial resistance. There is an urgent need to meet the growing demand for low-cost poultry meat and eggs in a safe and sustainable way. This is most evident today in South and Southeast Asia. We are an impact-driven development research programme working in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Taking an interdisciplinary and intersectoral ‘One Health’ approach, we have been exploring how rapid expansion of poultry production increases risks of infectious disease emergence and spread and why certain processes and behaviours are risky. We have developed strong networks of local, regional and global stakeholders - from farmers to policymakers - so the evidence we generate can be put to immediate use by those who can make a difference.