Digital governance for animal health and biosecurity applications

摘要

This project brings together components of animal disease biology, information technology (IT), public policy and social sciences in research that will provide more effective means of ensuring food, animal, and human health biosecurity against intentional disease introductions.Since 9/11, policies, protocols and governance in the area of animal health deal primarily with detection and control of disease outbreaks, but must also consider a larger context that includes food security, human health (in the case of zoonotic diseases) and economic stability. Existing regulations, policies, risk assessments, social issues, and the means of governance have to be evaluated with respect to narrow response windows, if fast and effective counter-measures to bioterrorism are to be achieved. This project introduces an interdisciplinary approach to examine the perception of animal health policy and the societal and technical requirements for countering animal and zoonotic disease outbreaks, whether accidental orintentional. Deliverables will include methods and recommendations for a transition into digital governance, with the goal of an effective connection between policy-driven action protocols, and new, innovative information and communication technology tools that can be utilized as preparatory, preventative and effective emergency responses.