Themes
The conference will address the following themes, which were defined as being of topical current interest.
A detailed description of the themes is provided below. You may download the themes here.
Engagement and participation of actors and end-users in surveillance activities
This theme examines how to engage stakeholders including livestock producers, farmers, community health workers and communities in health surveillance. Suggested topics include:
- Approaches for participatory and community-based surveillance.
- Understanding behavioural drivers of (non-)compliance with surveillance implementation and reporting - and conversely, how to incentivise participation.
- Private sector input and integration in operational surveillance, including Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), at all levels.
- Building trust and communication with livestock keepers, local associations and NGOs / CSOs.
- Strategies for public engagement and risk communication during outbreaks as well as in “peacetime.”
- Case stories illustrating how such engagement activities led to improved surveillance system performance (or not).
Science - society - policy dialogue for effective surveillance
This theme addresses the interface between knowledge generation, decision-making and stakeholder action, including:
- Translating surveillance evidence and impacts into policy and practice.
- Collaborative governance and partnership models: beyond "business as usual".
- Sharing lessons learned from successful national and regional surveillance networks.
- The role of communication, media, and civil society in advancing One Health awareness.
- Frameworks for multi-actor dialogue and co-development of surveillance strategies.
- Case stories illustrating how such relevant dialogue led to improved surveillance system performance (or not).
Evaluation and impact assessment of surveillance systems
This theme explores frameworks and methodologies to assess the performance, effectiveness and impact of animal health and One Health surveillance systems. This includes:
- Technical surveillance evaluation methodologies (including economic evaluation, application of participatory techniques etc.).
- Application of key performance indicators (KPIs) and other measures to assess surveillance effectiveness and performance.
- Impact-based monitoring and evaluation approaches: measuring and demonstrating broader impact and lessons learned from implementation.
- Case stories illustrating how such evaluations led to improved surveillance system performance (or not).
Innovations, Artificial Intelligence and data integration in surveillance
This theme focuses on technological and methodological innovations improving surveillance. Contributions may cover, among others:
- Use of AI, sensors, remote sensing, and digital tools for early detection and data processing.
- Integration of open or satellite data, genomic / bioinformatics repositories, and predictive modelling.
- Applying cutting-edge diagnostic techniques to enhance detection capacity (and how this informs new approaches, e.g. wastewater and environmental surveillance).
- Leveraging such innovations to reduce time to detection.
- Case stories illustrating translation of such innovation into practice, bridging proof-of-concept and operational uptake.
Integrating environmental and wildlife surveillance in a One Health framework
A cross-sectoral theme on incorporating environmental and wildlife dimensions in health surveillance. Suggested topics include:
- Integrating surveillance within One Health frameworks to detect zoonotic and transboundary diseases at their source.
- Collaboration between veterinary, public health and environmental sectors to strengthen surveillance, and incentives to bring other relevant stakeholders into One Health surveillance.
- Relevant methodologies for wildlife and ecosystem surveillance, techniques for environmental sampling (e.g. wastewater, soil, AMR genes, plant matter).
- Cross-sectoral data and information frameworks linking human, animal and ecosystem health, including data sharing, integration and aggregation.
- Case stories illustrating how integrating One Health approaches into health surveillance led to improved outcomes (or not).
Surveillance in livestock and food production systems and value chains
This theme examines the design and performance of operational surveillance systems and disease management and control programmes across varying production contexts including the following:
- Surveillance in livestock and aquaculture production systems.
- Post-production and food chain surveillance (e.g. slaughterhouses, food safety monitoring).
- Surveillance to support trade, inform regulatory frameworks and support policy development.
- Case stories illustrating how such operational surveillance activities led to improvements in health status, food security and safety (or not).
Topics of societal, cross-cutting and emerging importance
This theme explores the application of surveillance to a range of topics with profound societal and environmental impacts, such as:
- Increasing understanding of practices and impacts of antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR); designing and monitoring effective interventions.
- Impacts of climate variability (including extreme events) on disease patterns and surveillance needs.
- Gender and inclusivity dimensions in surveillance system planning and workforce implementation.
- Case stories illustrating how such relevant activities enhanced or strengthened surveillance system performance (or not).